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What is stalking?
Stalking can take many different forms and stalkers often use a variety of methods to harass their victims. Stalking can be life changing and can have a severe impact on victims. What can make stalking exceptionally challenging is that it can often go on for long periods of time – this can create increased anxiety and fear.
Forms of stalking can include:
- Waiting at the victim’s workplace, home or neighborhood
- Constant calls, texts, emails, letters or social media messages
- The persistent sending of gifts
- Breaking into the victim’s home or car
- Contacting people who know the victim; searching public or personal records
- Watching and following the individual, using cameras, audio equipment, phone tapping, or bugging the victim’s home or workplace
- Coercing the victim into making contact (e.g. they may threaten to commit suicide)
- Cyberstalking: using the internet to pursue, harass or contact someone.
How can I get help?
If you have experienced stalking, there is help out there for you.
Practical ways to gather evidence of stalking which can help the police and the Crown Prosecution Service :
- Create a diary of events that take place
- Keep all forms of communication from the stalker – emails, texts, letters, social media messages etc.
- Make a diary of anyone who has witnessed any acts of harassment against you.
The following services will provide support, or can refer you to another more appropriate service:
- Call the National Stalking Helpline on 0808 802 0300
- Visit Protection Against Stalking
- Visit Action Against Stalking
- Get help with digital or cyber stalking on Digital-Trust