Stalking

The Department of Justice defines stalking as “a pattern of repeated and unwanted attention, harassment, contact, or any other course of conduct directed at a specific person that would cause a reasonable person to feel fear.” 

Characteristics of Stalking 

Stalking can include the following behaviors: 

• Repeated, unwanted communications via phone, mail, email, or social media
• Leaving or sending someone unwanted items, presents, or flowers
• Following someone
• Waiting for someone at their school, work, or home
• Damaging or threatening to damage property
• Threats to harm someone or the people they know
• Defaming someone's character by posting or spreading rumors in public, on the internet, or by word of mouth 

Tips for practicing safety: 

• Assess for technology misuse
• Vary your daily routes and routines 
• Change your locks and install security devices
• Instruct your school or place of work not to disclose your contact information
• Document incidents
• Keep a log of all stalking incidents including date, time, location, what happened, and any witnesses who may have been present.
• Photograph evidence of trespassing, property damage, or unwanted gifts 
• If you receive an order of protection, provide a copy to your school or place of work and always keep a copy on you. 
• Create a Technology Safety Plan
• Be aware of what information you  share publicly or privately by checking and adjusting your settings on social media platforms.
• When accepting friends or followers on social media, check in with yourself to make sure you want them to have access to your social media profile. Someone you know (who you don’t want to have access to your profile) may use an alias and try to follow you.
• Do not share your passwords or account information with others.
• Do an internet search of your name to see what personal information about you is available online and notify a site’s webmaster to request any information to be removed.
• Disable apps and websites from automatically tracking your location and be mindful of posting public content that may reveal where you are (for example: listing your location on social media posts).
• If possible, preserve unwanted digital contact in its original form (voicemails, text conversations, messaging platforms, social media posts, etc.) rather than as recordings or screenshots.
• Before downloading applications, consider whether it's safe to do so. 

Intersections of Stalking and Sexual Violence 

Often overlooked is the link between stalking and power-based violence. Stalking is a crime that is often co-perpetrated with other crimes, including intimate partner violence and sexual assault. Stalking is often used as an extension of power and control. It may occur before, during or after the relationship ends, or both. Research supports a connection between stalking and sexual assault – both pre- and post-assault.  

• 81 percent of survivors who were stalked by a current or former partner had been physically assaulted by that partner.
• 57 percent of intimate partner stalking survivors reported being stalked before the relationship ended.
• 2 percent of stalking survivors are assaulted by their stalker, but 31 percent of women stalked by an intimate partner report also being sexually assaulted.
• Of the 70 percent of femicide victims who were physically assaulted before their murder, 90 percent reported at least one episode of stalking in the 12 months before their murder.  

Barriers to Seeking Support for Stalking 

Support for survivors of stalking is not one size fits all. It’s important to consider social identities, cultural needs, disabilities, and immigration status when providing appropriate resources and referrals. In some circumstances, stalking can be perpetrated by families, communities, or other networks of people.   

Many stalking survivors fear they will not be believed if they report stalking to authorities. Research indicates that for all genders and identities, the criminal justice system often minimizes the severity of stalking. This increases the risk for dangerous outcomes. Due to gender stereotypes, male survivors and many LGBTQIA-identified individuals are at a particularly high risk for having their experiences and concerns minimized.   

In addition to these obstacles, survivors from marginalized and underserved populations may face added barriers that can include discrimination, language barriers, fear of law enforcement, and lack of accessibility.  

Additional Resources and Information 

Visit the Self-Help and Crisis Resources for local and national resources for survivors of stalking and other forms of gender and power-based violence. 

More information and facts about stalking: 

Read about Columbia’s definition of stalking and other gender-based misconduct and learn about how stalking affects different communities. 

Check out the Stalking Resource Center website and the New York State Office for the Prevention of Domestic Violence. Visit The Stalking Prevention Awareness and Resource Center (SPARC) for additional literature.