It affects 7.5 million people in the US yearly
For half the people it happens before their 25th birthday
Most of the time it’s done by someone they know
It causes fear, employment concerns, some people have to move, and others fear it will never end
What is it?
Stalking
When was the last time you thought about stalking? Maybe you read about a celebrity who is being stalked by a ‘fan’. Stalking is one of those things we don’t think about too much until it happens to someone we care about. The sad reality is stalking is far more common than most people think. It’s also highly correlated with intimate partner violence… and with intimate partner homicide.
Sometimes I’m mindlessly singing along to Sting’s I’ll be Watching You and I catch myself and shudder as I really listen to the words and think about the terror that stalking elicits.
January is National Stalking Awareness Month
It’s important to know about stalking, so you can recognize the early signs and encourage someone you know to get help tight away. Got 5 minutes? Here’s a quick interactive quiz to help you better understand stalking. And here’s a fact sheet for more information about stalking.