Addressing Digital Stalking for Stalking Awareness Month

Written by:  PROVISION Media , Photos from Sierasuntimes and CNNPolitics 2022
President Barack Obama was the first US President to proclaim National Stalking Awareness Month in January 2011.  In 2021, President Joe Biden proclaimed January 2022 to be National Stalking Awareness Month and announced that a task force will be put in place to address digital stalking.  The White House highlighted that one in six women and one in seventeen men will experience some type of stalking in their lifetime.  “Stalking operates in the shadows and is fueled by silence and inaction,” Biden commented.  “As we begin this new year, let us commit to shining a brighter light on this insidious crime, to broadening our support for those affected, and to ensuring that all people can live in a world free from violence and fear.”
Stalking is a pattern of unwanted behavior.  Often, the person stalking makes threats or intends to harm the victim.  It involves harassment, repeatedly contacting or following another person, going to their home without being invited, lingering around places they know the person visits, damaging their property and spying on them.  Stalking can also occur online and is often referred to as cyberstalking.
Almost half the people who are stalked experience at least one unwanted contact a week, 11% of those targeted are stalked for five years or longer.  
Four warning signs of stalking: 
 Fixated
Obsessive
Unwanted
Repeated
Here are some tips to help if you feel that you’re being stalked, carry your cell phone with you at all times and keep it charged, trust your instincts, exercise with a friend and try not to go places alone.  Enroll in a self defense class, don’t respond to the stalker and seek counseling.  If you’re at home, make sure the house is secure and well lit and be sure to let your neighbors know that you’re being stalked in case they see anything out of the ordinary.
If you have experienced repeated contact from the same person, report it to the police by calling 911 or 633-111.  If you would like further support contact Catholic Social Services at 699-5683, or Department of Human Social Services at 633-2696.  Safehepline 24/7 hotline at (877)995-5247 (sexual assault), or 24 hour abuse hotline, National Abuse Hotline (800)799-7233.