Are You Being Stalked?
Stalking is a series of actions that make you feel afraid, distressed, or in danger. Stalking can be online or in-person, is serious, often violent, and can escalate over time.
Are You...
- Always looking over your shoulder?
- Worried that the person knows your schedule and will show up?
- Struggling to focus on school, extracurriculars or other import- ant activities?
- Nervous about checking your messages or phone because it might be them again?
- Scared of what that person might do next?
If so, you may be a victim of stalking.
Who are Stalkers
Most stalkers target people they know.
Many stalkers commit this crime against people who they’ve dated/been romantically involved with, during and/or after the relationship. Stalkers may also be acquaintances, family members and/or strangers.
18- to 24-year-olds experience the highest rates of stalking among adults.
Among undergraduate stalking victims, 59% of men and 86% of women are stalked by men, regardless of sexual orientation.
“It’s not easy to describe the fear you have when you see the stalker, or the signs of the stalker, everywhere you go. I have given up all hope of ever having a safe life. For the rest of my life, I will be looking over my shoulder, expecting to see him there.”
—Stalking survivor
What Do Stalkers Do?
Most stalkers use multiple tactics to scare their victims. These behaviors may include (but are not limited to):
- Unwanted contact through repeated calls (including hang-ups), texts, emails, messages or social media.
- Following you.
- Sending unwanted gifts or letters.
- Tracking you using technology (like GPS, apps or hidden cameras).
- Showing up or waiting for you at places like class, your dorm, the library or the gym.
- Damaging your property.
- Spreading rumors about you—in person or online.
- Posting or sharing or threatening to post or share intimate photographs of you.
- Harassing your classmates, roommate(s), friends, co-workers or family.
- Gathering information about you through social media or asking people about you.
- Hacking your accounts, changing your passwords or impersonating you online.
- Threatening to hurt you or those close to you—family, friends or pets.
- Other actions that control, track or frighten you.
The stalking is not your fault, and you cannot control the stalker’s behaviors.
What Can You Do to Be Safe?
It can be helpful to think of strategies to help keep yourself and loved ones safe. You may want to:
- Call 9-1-1 if you’re in imminent danger or have been threatened.
- Trust your instincts. If you think that you’re in danger, you probably are.
- Connect with campus resources who can help you explore options and make a detailed safety plan, like your crisis center, advocacy services, gender resource center, Title IX office and/or campus security/police.
- Document everything that happens—keep a record or log. See stalkingawareness.org/what-to-do-if-you-are-being-stalked for a sample log. ›
- Tell people you trust about the situation. Consider asking family, friends, classmates and/or roommate(s) to help with your safety plans.
- Consider getting a court order to keep the stalker away from you. Campus support services can help you contact a local domestic violence/sexual assault agency or family court for more information.
- Learn more safety strategies at stalkingawareness.org.
Stalking violates student conduct codes and is a crime in all 50 states and beyond.
Information courtesy of SPARC: Stalking Prevention Awareness and Resource Center. This project was supported by Grant No. 2017-TA-AX-K074 awarded by the Office on Violence Against Women, U.S. Department of Justice. The opinions, findings, conclusions and recommendations expressed in this publication/program/exhibition are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Department of Justice, Office on Violence Against Women.