January is National Stalking Awareness Month, and yet, few people are aware of stalking or the insidious effects that stalking can have on victims.
The state of Washington defines stalking as when someone “intentionally and repeatedly harasses or repeatedly follows another person, and the person being harassed or followed is placed in fear that the stalker intends to injure the person, another person, or property of the person or of another person.” The feeling of fear and intimidation typically accompanies victims in these situations.
A stalker can control or interfere with a victim’s entire life by means of monitoring their normal routine. This can include their home, workplace, school, the school of their children or their place of worship. The stalker can intimidate their victim in a variety of ways:
— Following/watching.
— Inappropriate approaches or confrontations.
— Unwanted telephone calls/e-mails/text messages.
— Leaving unwanted gifts/letters.
— Threats.
Two-thirds of stalkers pursue their victims at least once per week, many daily, using more than one method. Seventy-eight percent of stalkers use more than one means of approach, and weapons are used to harm or threaten victims in one out of five stalking cases.
Any place a person goes and however they communicate can be compromised by a stalker. The overriding threat of harm often can get lost in the daily barrage of harassment. To the victim, though, it only takes one threat to their safety to know a stalker is serious.
Sometimes, victims often deny the problem or severity of the issue. They attempt to bargain with a stalker in an attempt to get the stalker to leave them alone. Many victims suffer from anxiety, depression, exhaustion, self-blame and anger. After a period of time, many victims come to accept the stalker’s behavior as something they must accept as a normal part of their lives.
So it’s no surprise that only half of all stalking victims report offences to law enforcement. Of those, only a quarter of reported cases actually result in the arrest of the stalker and less than one in four results in criminal prosecution.
In essence, only 7 out 100 stalkers are convicted of a crime, while the other 93 are left to harass their victims.
The best advice for a victim is to document and log all of a stalker’s behaviors. The victim can, and should, change their phone numbers and e-mail accounts. If it is viable, the victim also can relocate. When moving is not possible, the victim should have a peephole installed in their door as well as deadbolts and motion-detector lights.
As a community, we need to speak up and advocate for the rights of citizens who are stalked or harassed. Speak up for victims so that they do not need to change their entire lives. Stalking crosses all socioeconomic and gender groups, and as such, it is an issue that could compromise the safety of any of us. We need to encourage victims to document and report harassing and stalking behaviors. We must educate our children and our community about these issues and hold stalkers accountable.
Please join the Snohomish County Domestic Violence Coalition in raising awareness of this issue and the designation of January as Stalking Awareness Month.
Lori Hartelius supervises the Office of Children’s Affairs and Prevention, a division of Snohomish County Human Services. This commentary was written on behalf of the members of the Snohomish County Domestic Violence Coalition.
If you or someone you know needs help or have any questions or concerns about this issue or any of other forms of domestic violence, call 425-25-ABUSE.
Talk to us
> Give us your news tips.
> Send us a letter to the editor.
> More Herald contact information.
