Cyberpath

From Enpsychopedia

Cyberpaths was originally used to describe how electronics work in computer systems.

Colloquially, a cyberpath is defined as an individual with a pathological disorder who has access to the internet and uses the internet as a medium for acting out his or her pathology. Another definition is that a cyberpath has come to mean a psychopath who uses the internet to find, stalk, and exploit others either online or in real life.

1 The Internet - A Double Edged Sword
2 The Dominance-Submission Game
3 Cybersex and Emotional Rape
4 Websites

The Internet - A Double Edged Sword

According to many researchers, finding victims to exploit, and even exploitation itself, has been greatly facilitated by the internet. The internet not only offers the possibility for contact between like-minded individuals separated by vast distances and even belonging to different cultures, it also provides the opportunities for individuals of a predatory nature to seek out prey for any number of nefarious reasons. Never before have the possibilities of networking been so enhanced, and the dangers so prevalent.

Researchers emphasize that a cyberpath is extremely difficult to recognize. Psychopaths, in general, are well known for hiding behind a "mask of sanity"; the internet provides an additional masking element, compounding the problem.

Many cyberpaths appear to be seeking only thrills and restrict their activity to the internet only, never seeking direct contact. This type of individual moves from victim to victim, easily becoming bored. Because psychological and emotional dominance are what they seek - and usually achieve - they leave a trail of psychological damage behind them. Other cyberpaths utilize the internet to find victims that they then proceed to exploit directly. The explosion in Online Dating sites has helped facilitate this greatly; however Online Dating sites are not the only venues used by cyberpaths.

The Dominance-Submission Game

For the "strict" cyberpaths, (those that never seek face to face contact), accumulating followers that accept their dominance are very important. The followers give adulation to the cyberpath - many of whom use pity as a way to get attention - and this seems to feed what appears to be a sort of virtual narcissism. This follows a pattern very similar to those used to build & maintain cults. Very often, cyberpaths will also be insulting and humiliating (in written words) in order to assert their dominance. They may seek out confidential information from online sources or from some other individual and use it to embarrass or harass a third individual. They may also use this confidential information about their victims to threaten or extort the victim; should their true agendas be found and/or exposed.

Cybersex and Emotional Rape

One variety of cyberpath concentrates on "web sex", seducing their victims with words, engaging in "cyber sex" which may go so far as to involve using webcameras, webphones, or may be simply restricted to written communication. They may then utilize these interactions to shame and harass the victim. Quite often, these seductions include promises of love and eventual face to face meetings which never transpire. If they do actually meet their victims, and exploit them, it passes into a different category of activity.

The cyberpath who concentrates on "romancing" and "seducing" their victims have been known to inspire almost fanatical love and devotion in a whole series of individuals they never actually meet. It seems that the combination of "love bombing" combined with sexual excitement generated at a distance, has lasting emotional and psychological effects, in many respects even more devastating than an actual, physical love affair. The sexual excitement induced by cyberpaths often has the same physiological 'bonding' results that actual sex would; at least for the victim. Cyberpaths also use seduction techniques and hypnosis, trance and neurolinguistic programming methods to induce a feeling of 'connectedness' in their victims.

Many victims of cyberpaths may end up entering therapy as a result of their interactions which are often emotionally deep and psychologically profound. Many victims believe themselves to be flawed after an experience with a cyberpath. PTSD which may last for months or years, is the most common problem victims are left with.

According to many reports, cyberpaths can do extreme psychological damage to those individuals they target. See: Emotional Rape.

Gordon Bank's work, "Don Juan as Psychopath," ^[1] suggests that the cyberpath is mostly interested in playing tricks with his prey, almost in a playful way. The relationship, the cybersex, the chat, the openness, the fraud, the mind-games: are all a game to the Cyberpath.

Cyberpaths are predominantly male but can be female.

Cyberpath is the term used for predators looking for victims over the internet. It is true that we do not know who we are talking to on the other end of the computer and since the internet has become one of our most valuable communication tools the percentage of crime has increased by far. Do not trust profiles and do not trust what people "tell" you about themselves. Just as they will never know who you truly are you will really never know who they really are either.