SO TRUE…
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ADDITIONAL RESOURCE ON STALKING FROM COLORADO STATE UNIVERSITY WOMEN’S PROGRAMS AND STUDIES
Additional Resources
For excellent information on stalking, including stalking behavior logs, safety plan guidelines, and a complete handbook for victims, contact the National Center for Victims of Crime Stalking Resource Center online at www.ncvc.org, call 1-800-FYI-CALL (M-F 8:30 AM – 8:30 PM EST), or e-mail [email protected]
A survey of university undergraduates revealed that 20% had been stalked or harassed by a former dating partner. (Haugaar & Seri 2004)
More than one million women and nearly 400,000 men are stalked annually in the United States (U.S. Justice Dept. 1998)
THE START OF MANY THINGS WE DID WRONG IN MORGAN’S STALKING CASE
How did her stalker always know right when Morgan came home? He always started his tapping and banging on her window within 15 minutes of her arriving at her house. This is a very important question as the Sheriff’s Patrol Officers later on believed it had to be someone in our neighborhood that could see her coming home. The Sheriff’s suggested that we not speak to our neighbors about what was happening, in order to give them a better chance of catching this stalker off-guard if he was in our neighborhood…the problem with this tactic is that if more people in your neighborhood know, the more eyes you have watching out for you, it makes it harder on the criminal to sneak around, and it is easier to catch the criminal, but we did not know at the time so we took the Patrol Officer’s suggestion and tried to keep it quiet for the time being.
A little later on when we captured the first picture of the stalker and there were Sheriff’s Patrol Officers parked all around our house not all the neighbors could be kept in the dark any longer. One of them just stormed up our driveway and demanded to know what was going on. He also stopped and spoke with one of the officers. So a couple of them did find out, which was good because right after that happened we came the closest (in my opinion) to catching the stalker…but you will read about that on August 29th.
WHAT TO DO IF YOU ARE BEING STALKED
Trust your instincts. If something doesn’t feel right it probably isn’t. Be wary about how much information you reveal and advertise to others. Keeping a low profile, especially in regards to cyber- stalking, is important for maintaining your privacy. If possible, carry a cell phone on you at all times in case you need to call for help.
If you are being stalked, you need to make it very clear to the stalker that you are not interested. A firm “No” is a clear and concise message that you are not interested in their advances. Don’t try to be polite by making up other excuses, as this leaves open windows for the stalker to think there is a chance.
Notify family members or close friends if you believe you are being stalked, both to build support and put them on the lookout. This is especially important if you have children with your stalker. When going on trip, give a trusted friend your itinerary so that they can notify authorities if something goes wrong. Vary your habits (ex: taking different ways to work) so that you are not an easy target for your stalker to follow.
Document Everything. The key to prosecuting a stalker is to document. Everything this individual does must be chronicled from the moment you believe you are being stalked. Also save everything the stalker sends you and record when and where you found it. Tape record phone calls the stalker leaves you and save voicemails, emails, instant messages and text messages. Keep your records in a safe place and make a copy to leave in another location.
Consider working with law enforcement professionals as early as possible. All states have anti-stalking legislation. Also, you may want to contact victim’s rights advocate groups who specialize in domestic violence or stalking programs. Early intervention is always best when trying to stop stalking.
LEGAL OPTIONS
Temporary Restraining Orders (called Orders of Protection in Colorado) are intended to notify your stalker that they must immediately stop harassing and otherwise contacting you. You must file paperwork with the court requesting such an order. You may also petition for a Work Place Restraining Order which is similar to the TRO.
Stalking Emergency Protective Orders allows for police to immediately obtain emergency protection for victims in domestic violence and stalking cases. These can only be obtained with the help of a police officer.
The information above is from the Office of Women’s Programs and Studies ▪ Colorado State University
Saturday, August 6, 2011 – the 5th day of Morgan’s stalking
In the morning, during breakfast, Morgan reminded us to check the windows outside her room to see if anything could be rubbing up against them. The three of us all went to go look outside and to our surprise realize nothing, not a branch or anything, could be tapping on the windows, so now we are all very concerned…Morgan said she will let us know if it happens again. She was pretty upset and decides to go hang out with friends until later around 10:00 pm.
This same evening tapping occurred again after Morgan returned in the evening within 15 minutes of her coming home and going to bed. Her dad and I go running outside trying to catch this person, but we saw nothing. We must be getting slow or there are just too many trees, bushes and shadows to hide in. We start to brainstorm to try and come up with a plan that will work in order to catch this person.
Click here to read about the 6th day of Morgan’s stalking https://morgansstalking.com/?p=475
