Stalking Awareness MonthUnwanted phone calls, messages, letters

Unwanted gifts

Unexpected/unwanted presence

Stalked

West Virginia Stalking LawsSubsection (a) Subsection (b)

Any person who repeatedly follows another knowing or having reason to know that the conduct causes the person followed to reasonably fear for his or her safety or suffer significant emotional distress, is guilty of a misdemeanor and, upon conviction thereof, shall be incarcerated in the county or regional jail for not more than six months or fined not more than one thousand dollars, or both.

Any person who repeatedly harasses or repeatedly makes credible threats against another is guilty of a misdemeanor and, upon conviction thereof, shall be incarcerated in the county or regional jail for not more than six months or fined not more than one thousand or both.

WV Foundation for Rape Information & Services

Stalking Behavior Obsessive Violates privacy Dead pets Threats Attempted harm Monitoring electronic

use Vandalism Unwanted gifts Steals belongings (i.e.

mail)

Frequent phone calls and hang-ups

Frequents work place/school/home

Sends photographs Messages, Letters,

emails Attempts to contact

victim via friends & family

Stalker?

Stranger Danger

Male vs Female

Socioeconomic status

Occupation

Who is the Victim? 1 in 4 women 1 in 13 men

Ages 18 to 24 experience highest rate of stalking (Baum et al., 2009)

My Crazy Obsession

Impact of Stalking on Victims

46% of stalking victims fear not knowing what will happen next.

29% of stalking victims fear the stalking will never stop.

1 in 8 employed stalking victims lose time from work as a result of their victimization and more than half lose 5 days of work or more.

1 in 7 stalking victims move as a result of their victimization.

The prevalence of anxiety, insomnia, social dysfunction, and severe depression is much higher among stalking victims than the general population, especially if the stalking involves being followed or having property destroyed[Eric Blauuw et al., “The Toll of Stalking,” Journal of Interpersonal Violence,

17, no. 1 (2002):50-63.]

Is it just stalking? 76% of intimate partner feminicide victims

have been stalked by their intimate partner. 67% had been physically abused by their

intimate partner. 89% who had been physically assaulted had

been stalked in the 12 months before their murder.

54% reported stalking to police before they were killed by their stalkers.

[Judith McFarlane et al., “Stalking and Intimate Partner Femicide,” Homicide

Studies 3, no. 4 (1999).]

HelpWV FRIS

• FRC

• HOPE

• RDVIC

• REACH

• SAHC

• SWC

• WAIC

• WRC

• Report stalking or harassment to the police

• File P.O. application/affidavit

• Inform friends, family, employer

• Document all encounters, messages, threats, etc.

Safe Planning Take any threats

seriously Use caution when

sharing personal information

Spend more time in the company of friends and family

Be less predictable Trust your instincts Address safety

issues with electronic tracking

Keep a phone handy at all times