|
Statistics (Fisher, Cullen & Turner, 2000:
"Sexual Victimization of College Women")***
Back to Top
-
13% of female college
students have been victims of stalking.
-
Stalking is more prevalent
among younger women.
-
College campuses provide
an ideal environment for stalkers.
-
College campuses are
relatively closed-in communities, where daily routines and regular
behaviors can be easily monitored.
Who are the stalkers?
-
42.5 % are boyfriends or
ex-boyfriends.
-
24.5% are classmates.
-
10.3% are acquaintances.
-
9.3% are friends.
-
5.6% are co-workers.
Impact on victims
-
3 in 10 women reported
emotional or psychological injury.
-
In 15.3% of incidents,
victims reported that the stalker threatened or attempted to harm
them.
-
In 10.3% of incidents,
victims reported that the stalker "forced or attempted sexual
contact."
|
|
Examples of Stalking Conduct
(Emily Spence-Diehl: "Stalking-A Handbook for Victims")
Back to Top
Information Gathering
Stalkers gather information from people like Co-workers, Classmates,
Friends, Relatives, DMV, City Utilities, State Professional Licensing
Boards, Voter Registration, Veterinarians, Post Office, Internet Search
Engines, HR Departments at Workplaces, Banks & Credit Card Companies. In
a campus setting, information gathering is easier than most other
places. Information may be posted on the Internet by the college.*
Unwanted Contacts-Gifts,
Notes, Calls, Following & Observation
Stalkers may appear to be charming and attentive-leaving gifts, flowers,
love letters or poems for the victims to find. The situation may turn
ugly as when dead flowers, hateful letters or dead animals are left by
the stalker. In a campus environment "coincidental" contacts may be
easily arranged by the stalker.*
Escalation-Vandalism,
Threats & Violence
A history of violence, including domestic violence, is the most reliable
predictor of probable escalation of stalking behavior. Threats may be
implicit, explicit or symbolic.
|
|
What to do if
you are being stalked on campus
Back to Top
According to OHIO law,
stalking is a crime if a person knowingly engaged in a pattern of
conduct (two or more actions or incidents closely related in time)
that caused you to believe that the offender may cause you physical harm
or mental distress.
- If you are in immediate
danger, call 911.
- If you think you are being
stalked, report incidents to law enforcement (campus police and/or
local police).
- Contact your local victim
advocate program that can assist you with safety planning and
prosecution of the case.
- Talk about your
experiences with others you trust (family members, friends,
room-mates, school counselor/advisor, etc.).
- Deviate from your daily
routine and avoid predictability.
- Be careful about sharing
your personal information.
You will be more credible
and help build a stronger case if you:
- Keep a log listing all
stalking incidents (dates, times, places, what happened, witnesses,
etc.)
Sample of an incident and behavior log available at Stalking
Resource Center Website.
- Save everything you
receive from the stalker (e.g. letters, emails, gifts, etc.).
|
