Stalking means persistent and unwanted attention that makes you feel pestered, harassed and threatened. This can include a range of behaviour, the important thing is that you find it unwanted and unwelcome. Stalking can happen to anyone. Most people know their stalker in some way, but some people don’t or may have only had a brief encounter with them.
Stalking can build up slowly over time, and it may be very subtle or even feel flattering at the beginning. This this can make it hard to recognise. Stalking can also go on for a long time, which can make you feel overwhelmed and worried that it will never stop.
However, stalking is a crime and is not something you should have to put up with.
Are you being stalked? Do you recognise any of the following?
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Repeated unwanted contact, by phone, text, in person or online
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Unwanted gifts, even if they seem like nice things such as flowers
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Gifts that might not seem strange to anyone else, but might have significant meaning to you which makes you feel threatened
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Persistently trying to get around any measures you may take to avoid contact, such as making fake online profiles to contact you if you block them
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Contacting your friends and family in person, online or by phone, as a way of getting to you
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Always seeming to know where you are and what you are doing, making you feel like you are being watched
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Turning up at work or school
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Hanging around places you may be, even if they don’t speak to you
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Damaging your property or property of your family and friends
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Using threats to coerce you into meeting them
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Spreading stories about you to other people
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Persistent breaching of orders that may have been put in place to protect you
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Making you fear that violence will be used against you. They may have been violent to you in the past, making this threat feel very real
These are just some of the ways a stalker may try to get to you, you may have experienced others.
Support for stalking and harrassment
Click here for Black Country Women's Aid
Click here for Victim Support
Click here for Suzy Lamplurgh Trust
Useful Apps
Click here for information on Hollie Guard, a free personal safety app
Click here for information on Uniguard, the University’s safeguard app