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What to Do if You Are Being Stalked

Stalking is a crime. You do not have to put up with the behavior of another person that makes you feel afraid or uncomfortable. If you believe you are being stalked, report it.

• Tell the stalker once and only once to stop the behavior. Do this as early as possible and be firm and direct. Do not try to be nice or spare the feelings of the stalker. The stalker may only see this as encouragement to continue.
• Avoid contact with the stalker: This includes ANY and ALL contact (calling to ask for someone else’s phone number, counter-harassing, sending letters back) which could easily be misinterpreted by the stalker. When the stalker tries to contact the victim several times in one evening until the victim either "gives in" or offers the stalker some attention (a response, such as fear, anger or shock), these responses serve as reinforcement for the stalking behavior.
• Behavior that is ignored is more likely to stop. However, it may get worse before it stops completely.
• Document the harassment. Record the time, place and type of behavior for every incident and keep photos, destroyed property/vandalism, photos of any injuries, answering machine messages saved on tape, and/or letters or notes written by the perpetrator. Even if you do not choose to report right away, this will help make your case if you ever decide to report.
• Get support from family, friends, neighbors, coworkers, therapists and other victims. Do not listen to people who think you are inventing or exaggerating the stalking events or that the stalker is merely an overzealous romantic.
• Let people know about the situation so they can help you. Inform a trusted friend, resident adviser, peer and/or colleague about the situation. Provide them with a photo or description of the suspect.

Stalking Safety Plan
If the harassment is ongoing, develop a plan of what to do if you are in immediate danger. Having a specific plan; preparing in advance can be important if incidents suddenly escalate. For more information on stalking plans, visit the National Center for Victims of Crime Web site.