Safety and Stalking

Things you can do:

•    If you are in immediate danger, call 911.

•    Trust your instincts. Do not downplay the danger. If you feel you are unsafe, you probably are.

•    Take threats seriously. Danger generally is higher when the stalker talks about suicide or murder, or when the victim tries to leave or end the relationship.

•    Contact a crisis hotline or victim service agency. They can help you devise a safety plan, give you information bout local laws, refer you to other services, and weigh options such as seeking a protective order.

•    Develop a safety plan, including things like: changing your routine, arranging a place to stay, and having a friend or relative go to places with you. Also, decide in advance what to do if the stalker shows up at your home, work, school, or somewhere else. Tell people how they can help you.

•    Don’t communicate with the stalker or respond to attempts to contact you.

•    Keep evidence of stalking. When the stalker follows you or contacts you, write down the time, date, and place. Keep emails, phone messages, text messages, letters, or notes.  Photograph anything of yours the stalker damages and injuries the stalker caused. Ask witnesses to write down what they saw.

•    Contact the police. Every state has stalking laws. The stalker may also have broken other laws by doing things like assaulting you or stealing or destroying your property.

•    Consider getting a protective order that tells the stalker to stay away from you.

•    Tell family, friends, roommates, and co-workers about the stalking and seek their support. Tell security staff at your job or school. Ask them to help watch out for your safety.

Adapted from The National Center for Victims of Crime Resource Center.