January is National Stalking Awareness Month

There are an estimated 13 million stalking victims in the US every year. This amounts to roughly 1 in 3 women and 1 in 6 men. People of all genders experience stalking; there is no national estimate of stalking among gender non-conforming individuals. The majority of stalking perpetrators are men.  Stalking affects people of all ages, from young children to senior citizens. The average rate of stalking among adults is higher among those between the ages of 18 and 24. 

Often, stalking is undetected and unnamed. Fewer than 40% of stalking victims contact the police. This is due to several factors. First of all, stalking behavior is minimized and is not considered significant. Additionally, victims may feel shame and keep the behavior private to avoid humiliation. Finally, police are not trusted, and victims don't believe the authorities will take their claims seriously.

Most offenders are familiar to their victim in some way, frequently as previous or present intimate partners, friends, or acquaintances. Just a small percentage of stalking incidents involve strangers. In an abusive relationship, stalking can be a strategy for gaining power and control. It's also essential to understand that many stalkers are not romantically involved. In this scenario, the stalker is frequently an acquaintance, especially when it comes to male victims. However, stalkers who have an intimate relationships with their victims are more likely to threaten and hurt them. These stalkers have more access to the victim and may be familiar with the victim's schedule, social media accounts, and passwords.

 Stalkers often engage in surveillance, life invasion, interference, and intimidation. These behaviors can happen through technology, in-person, or both. Most stalking behaviors fall under one of these categories. Surveillance consists of watching, tracking, and/or gathering information. Life invasion refers to showing up where the victim does not want them to. Interference includes sabotaging, attacking, humiliating, or changing the victim’s life. Intimidation is threats and other tactics that the stalker uses to scare the victim. For more information about stalking resources, awareness, and training, go to https://www.stalkingawareness.org/