Behaviors of Stalkers and their Impact on Survivors
News
What is stalking? Stalking is a course of conduct directed at a specific person that would cause a reasonable person to feel fear.
Common stalking behaviors include:
Repeated phone calls, voicemails, emails, and text messages
Monitoring a victim’s phone activity or computer use
Driving by, waiting at, or showing up at the victim’s home, school, or work
Sending unwanted gifts, letters, or cards
Posting information or spreading rumors about the victim on social media sites, in public places, or by word of mouth
Searching for information about the victim by conducting public records or online searches, hiring private investigators, digging through the victim’s garbage, or contacting the victim’s friends, family, neighbors, or co-workers
Using technology, such as hidden cameras, to watch the victim
Following the victim, either in person or via the use of technology (e.g., GPS or location-based apps)
Using a third party to contact or stalk the victim (i.e., proxy stalking)
Committing identity theft or financial fraud against the victim, such as opening, closing, or taking money from accounts
Using children to harass or monitor the victim
Vandalizing or destroying a victim’s property, car, or home
Violating protective orders or other injunctions
Threatening to hurt the victim or their family, friends, or pets
Threatening to kill the victim or others, self, or pets
The most dangerous perpetrators are those who:
Engage in actual pursuit of the victim
Possess or are interested in weapons
Commit other crimes such as vandalism or arson
Are prone to emotional outbursts and rage
Have a history of violating protection orders, substance abuse, mental illness and/or violence, especially toward the victim
Have made threats of murder or murder-suicide
The most dangerous times for a stalking victim are when:
The victim has separated from the stalker
The stalker has been arrested or served with a protection order
The stalker has a major negative life event, such as the loss of a job or being evicted
The stalking behaviors increase in frequency or escalate in severity
Effects of stalking on a survivor:
Abuse of drugs or alcohol
Inability to study
Sexual dysfunction
Anger
Irritability
Anxiety
Loss of confidence
Confusion
Loss of relationships
Depression
Minimization
Economic losses
Nightmares
Embarrassment
PTSD
Emotional numbness
Self-Blame
Fatigue
Fear
Shame
Flashbacks
Shock
Frustration
Sleep disturbances
Frustration
Social isolation
Guilt
Suicidal ideation
Hypervigilance
Unable to accomplish daily tasks
Inability to concentrate
Weight changes
Source: The national center for victims of crime stalking resource center program
Did you know that CASA's Injunction Attorneys also serve victims of stalking at no charge? If you or someone you know is being stalked, call CASA's 24-hour hotline at (727) 895-4912.