January is National Stalking Awareness Month. According to the National Intimate Partner and Sexual Violence Survey, stalking is common: 1 in 6 women and 1 in 17 men have experienced stalking in their lifetimes. Like many types of abuse and violence, stalking is often perpetrated by someone the victim knows and most frequently by a current or former partner.

Stalking is a crime in Pennsylvania and a serious type of abuse. With current technologies, stalking is now more than direct, in-person encounters. Cyberstalking has become one of the most prevalent types of abuse reported to domestic violence centers across the country.

What is stalking?

According to the Stalking Prevention, Awareness and Resource Center, stalking is a course of conduct directed at a specific person that would cause a reasonable person to feel fear. The stalker will show up in many places and in many forms, including at an individual’s job or school, waiting for them at locations they are known to frequent and driving by their home or place of employment.

Stalkers also exhibit certain behaviors, like frequently calling, following, befriending family or friends, sending gifts or mail, contacting a boss or co-worker and even breaking into an individual’s home. They can leave threatening messages, tamper with an individual’s vehicle or lurk around their home, school or the place where they work.

Cyberstalking, which is becoming the most common form of stalking, includes hacking social media accounts, creating fake accounts to attempt contact, threatening to publish photos or potentially defamatory information, changing passwords on an individual’s accounts or tracking them via GPS device accounts.

The stalker may call, text or message an individual frequently, set up cameras to monitor their activities, install Spyware on their devices or send unsolicited pornography. These are just examples of the possible behavior and not a complete list.

According to Domesticshelters.org, children and young people under the age of 25 who are victims of cyberstalking or cyberharassment are more than twice as likely to self-harm and enact suicidal behaviors.

For those who think they are being stalked, call 911 immediately if you are being threatened or are in fear for your safety. Officials advise individuals to let the individual know once (through a safe platform) that you don’t want to see them or be contacted by them. Also, let them know that you will be contacting law enforcement if future contact is made. Continue to file police reports whenever the individual contacts you after that point.

If the individual is a family member or a current or past intimate partner, talk to your local domestic violence center about obtaining a protective order. Save or screenshot telephone or electronic communications and keep a log of activity. A stalking behavior log is available at stalkingawareness.com.

Let your friends, family, employer, school officials, neighbors know that you are being stalked or harassed and provide a picture and physical description of the individual, block the individual on all social media, texting and messaging platforms, phones, etc. and don’t respond to messages or communicate through a third party such as the stalker’s friends or family.

Be careful not to overshare on social media where friends of the stalker may be able to track your activities and always be aware of your surroundings. Ask your employer to assign someone to walk you to and from your car or ask for a parking space that is well-lit and close to the entrance.

In order to protect yourself, keep your cell phone charged and on your person at all times. It is also important to let your children know that they are not to talk to or interact with the individual and to seek help immediately if the individual approaches them or contacts them.

For the purposes of cyber safety, change your passwords initially and frequently thereafter and report online stalking to the site administrator.

Consider changing your normal driving routes and/or times of travel and install extra lighting or a security system at your home. Keep windows and doors locked and curtains closed and always trust your instincts.

A Way Out, Potter County’s domestic violence and sexual assault center can assist with filing a protective order (protection from abuse) if appropriate and assist with resources and support if you are being stalked.