Stalking

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January is National Stalking Awareness Month

What is Stalking?

Legal definitions of stalking differ from State to State, but a good general definition of stalking is a course or pattern of actions or conduct directed at a specific person that would cause a reasonable person to feel fear. Stalking is serious, frequently violent, and usually escalates over time.

Stalking statistics show:

3.4 million people over the age of 18 are stalked each year in the United States.
3 in 4 stalking victims are stalked by someone they know.
30% of stalking victims are stalked by a current or former intimate partner.
10% of stalking victims are stalked by a stranger.
Persons aged 18-24 years experience the highest rate of stalking.
11% of stalking victims have been stalked for 5 years or more.
46% of stalking victims experience at least one unwanted contact per week.
1 in 4 victims report being stalked through the use of some form of technology (such as e-mail or instant messaging).
10% of victims report being monitored with global positioning systems (GPS), and 8% report being monitored through video or digital cameras, or listening devices.

[Katrina Baum et al., (2009). "Stalking Victimization

Stalkers:

2/3 of staslkers pursue their victims at least once per week, many daily, using more than one method.
78% of stalkers use more than one means of approach.
Weapons are used to harm or threaten victims in 1 out of 5 cases.
Almost 1/3 of stalkers have stalked before.
Intimate partner stalkers frequently approach their targets, and their behaviors escalate quickly.

Stalking Behavior can include:

Follow you and show up wherever you are.
Send unwanted gifts, letters, cards, or e-mails.
Damage your home, car, or other property.
Monitor your phone calls or computer use.
Use technology, like hidden cameras or global positioning systems (GPS), to track where you go.
Drive by or hang out at your home, school, or work.
Threaten to hurt you, your family, friends, or pets.
Find out about you by using public records or online search services, hiring investigators, going through your garbage, or contacting friends, family, neighbors, or co-workers.
Posting information or spreading rumors about you on the Internet, in a public place, or by word of mouth.
Other actions that control, track, or frighten you.

You are not to blame for a stalker's behavior.

Impact of Stalking

46% of stalking victims fear not knowing what will happen next. [Baum et al., (2009). "Stalking Victimization in the United States." BJS.]
29% of stalking victims fear the stalking will never stop. [Baum et al.]
1 in 8 employed stalking victims lose time from work as a result of their victimization and more than half lose 5 days of work or more. [Baum et al.]
1 in 7 stalking victims move as a result of their victimization. [Baum et al.]
The prevalence of anxiety, insomnia, social dysfunction, and severe depression is much higher among stalking victims than the general population, especially if the stalking involves being followed or having one's property destroyed. [Eric Blauuw et al. "The Toll of Stalking," Journal of Interpersonal Violence 17, no. 1(2002):50-63.]

If you are being Stalked

you may:

Feel fear of what the stalker will do.
Feel vulnerable, unsafe and not know what to do.
Feel anxious, irritable, impatient or on edge.
Feel depressed, hopeless, overwhelmed, tearful or angry.
Feel stressed, including having trouble concentrating, sleeping or remembering things.
Have eating problems, such as appetite loss, forgetting to eat or overeating.
Have flashbacks, disturbing thoughts, feelings or memories.
Feel confused, frustrated or isolated because other people don't understand why you are afraid.

These are common reactions to being stalked

Things you can do if:

You are being stalked:

If you are in immediate danger, call 911.
Trust your instincts. Don't downplay the danger. If you feel unsafe, you probably are. Be aware of your surroundings at all times, especially parking lots, malls, etc.
Take threats seriously. Danger is generally higher when the stalker talks about suicide or murder, or when a victim tries to leave or end a relationship.
Contact a crisis hotline or victim services agency for domestic violence or sexual assault. They can help you create a safety plan, provide information and referrals and help you explore your options.
Develope a Safety Plan. Include things like changing your routine regularly, arranging for a safe place to go or stay, having a friend or relative accompany you wherever you go. Decide in advance how you will handle the situation if your stalker shows up at your home or work or somewhere else.
Don't talk to or communicate with the stalker or respond to attempts to contact you.
Keep evidence of the stalking. Use a Stalking Log to keep track of the ime, date, place and witnesses when the stalker follows you. Svaed all text, emails voice and written messages. Take pictures of any damage the stalker has done to you r property or any injuries the stalker has caused on you. Ask your witnesses to write down what they saw.

Contact the police. Every state has stalking laws. The stalker may also have broken other laws by doing things lsike assaulting you or stealing or destroying your property. Consider geting a court order that tells the stalker to stay away from you. Don't be silent. Tell your friends, neighbors, co-workers about the stalking and seek their support.

If you know someone who is being stalked:

Listen.
Show support
Don't blame the victim for the crime.
Remember that every situation is different and allow the person being stalked to make their own choices about how to handle it.
Find someone you can talk to about the situation.
Take steps to ensure your own safety.

24/7/365 Crisis Hotline

970.565.2100

Renew, Inc.
P.O. Box 169
Cortez, CO 81321
Administration: 970.565.4886
Fax: 970.564.0988
info@renew-inc.org

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