Identify & Log Stalker Harassment
What Is Stalking?
“Stalking” is a term that is used casually these days. How many times have you heard someone say, “Oh, so nice to meet you! I was just stalking your Facebook page last week!” Or perhaps you’ve run into a friend twice in the same day only to crack the joke, “Stop stalking me, you know you can just call me, right?” Although casual humor may minimize the seriousness of stalking, it is important to remember that stalking is a form of intimidation that causes the victim to fear for their safety. According to Stalking Prevention, Awareness, & Resource Center (SPARC) 13.5 million people are stalked each year, and nearly 1 in 3 women and 1 in 6 men have experienced stalking victimization at one point during their lifetime. Stalking is a crime in all 50 states.
According to the State of California Penal Code 646.9, “Any person who willfully, maliciously, and repeatedly follows or willfully and maliciously harasses another person and who makes a credible threat with the intent to place that person in reasonable fear for his or her safety, or the safety of his or her immediate family is guilty of the crime of stalking.” This definition is broad and can apply to many different types of harassment. SPARC presents stalking as a pattern of behavior that makes a reasonable person fear for their safety. It takes 2 or more instances to make a pattern. Depending on the state you live in, documenting enough of these patterns may help a victim of stalking with various options, including obtaining a protective order or pressing charges against a stalker.
No two stalking cases are the same. Examples of stalking behavior include following the victim, showing up at the same place as the victim, harassing phone calls, text messages, emails messages, sending unwanted gifts, sharing photos or personal information about the victim, spreading rumors, vandalism, monitoring, tracking, making threats communicated through third parties, conducting investigations about the victim through third parties, or any combination of these examples.
The Problem With Reporting A Stalker
Stalking can span over many different crime types and can include individual acts that are not unlawful when they stand alone.
For example:
A stalker sent 9,000 unwanted text messages over the course of one month to a victim, they followed the victim daily to work to watch them enter and exit their place of work for one month, and repeatedly placed unwanted gifts on their car windshield.
These are three examples of behavior that individually are not unlawful. However, when they are coupled together and logged, they reflect a pattern of behavior that indicates stalking. If a stalker commits a crime like assault, they may face misdemeanor or felony charges for the assault, but not necessarily for stalking behaviors unless it can be proven in court that these instances occurred.
How To Log Stalker Harassment
If you ever find yourself in immediate danger, dial 911. If you are being harassed by a stalker, log all stalking related behavior. This log may be used as evidence in a court of law and may be part of the public record, so do not include information that you do not want the offender to see.
Take a photograph of the stalker
Date
Time
Location of the incident (physical or cyber location)
Description of the incident
Witnesses Name (include addresses and phone numbers)
Evidence Attached (photos, screenshots, police reports, restraining orders)
Police Report number & Officer Badge number
Consider keeping a digital log if your stalker is not able to access your phone or computer. If you keep a physical log, keep the log in a safe location and tell someone you trust where you keep your log. For more information, download the NCTCC victim service mobile app at https://nctcc.org/nctcc-app/ and visit SPARC at https://www.stalkingawareness.org/
To visit the Safety Section of the NCTCC App and get more information on Stalking/Harassment, download the NCTCC Victim Service Mobile Application at nctcc.org/nctcc-app or search for “nctcc” in the Google Play or Apple Store.
How to Log Stalking Behavior