This morning we talked with Melissa Scaia from Advocates for Family Peace, Amanda Eason from Itasca County Alliance Against Sexual Assault and Laura, a victim of stalking.
January is National Stalking Awareness Month, and when they do things like that - create a month to talk more about an issue - it's a sign that we don't know enough about it.
Here's some startling facts:
1 in 12 women and 1 in 45 men will be stalked in their lives.
1.4 million people are stalked every year in the United States.
76% of the women killed by their partners were stalked by their partner before their deaths.
The definition of stalking:
Stalking is a pattern of repeated, unwanted attention, harassment and contact. It is a pattern of conduct that can include:
- Following the victim
- Appearing at the victim's home or place of work
- Making unwanted and frightening contact with the victim through phone, mail and/or email
- Harassing the victim through the Internet
- Making threats to harm the victim, the victim's children, relatives, friends or pets
- Sending the victim unwanted gifts
- Intimidating the victim
- Vandalizing the victim's property
- Securing personal information about the victim by accessing public records, hiring private investigators, using Internet search services, contacting friends, family, work or neighbors, or going through the victim's garbage.
