![\"Am](\"http:\/\/www.safehorizon.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/02\/Am-I-Being-Stalked-5-Signs-To-Look-For-e1518467698461.jpg\")
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By La-Keir Morris Stalking is a serious crime that affects millions of people. According to the Center for Disease Control, approximately 1 in 6 women and 1 in 19 men have experienced stalking at some point during their lives. Since stalking is so prevalent and can often be dangerous, it is important to recognize stalking behavior and how to get help when you or someone you know is being stalked.<\/p>\n What is Stalking?<\/u><\/strong><\/p>\n Stalking is a pattern of willful behavior engaged in by an individual or group towards another person. Stalking behaviors are often threatening, coercive, and intimidating to the victim. The pattern of behavior by the stalker may include, but is not necessarily limited to, following the victim or obsessively monitoring the victim. The behavior can cause harm to the emotional and mental health of the victim as well as harm to their physical health, property or safety.<\/p>\n Here are some common stalking behaviors to help you identify if you or a friend is being stalked.<\/p>\n Cyberstalking is when someone uses technology to intimidate you or to monitor your behavior. An example might be when a person repeatedly and unwantedly reads your personal emails as a means of tracking you or your whereabouts. Sending threats via text, or gathering information that may be used to harass you are also examples of cyberstalking. Using social media sites such as Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram to spread false rumors or accusations that make you fear for your physical or emotional safety are also considered cyberstalking. For more information on cyberstalking, click here.<\/a><\/p>\n Does your partner or someone else show up unexpectedly at places such as your workplace, gym, or even your home? If these behaviors make you feel uncomfortable or afraid, consider that it may be stalking, even if on the surface these behaviors seem innocent or innocuous.<\/p>\n Stalkers can send gifts such as flowers, letters, and photos to try to persuade you to begin or to resume a relationship, however unwanted and unsolicited this attention may be. For example, I worked with a survivor whose former intimate partner left pictures of them together after work meetings. Another found flowers on her desk. Her co-workers thought they were beautiful, but for her, they were a sign of danger.<\/p>\n Stalkers may reach out to friends, family or coworkers to get in touch with the survivor. They may lie to others and tell them that it\u2019s an emergency in order to get information about the survivor\u2019s whereabouts.<\/p>\n When stalkers retaliate, they can take it out on the survivor\u2019s property. This includes anything from scratching cars and slashing tires to writing offensive messages on their homes or posting private documents or photos on social media.<\/p>\n You are not alone; it is not your fault; help is available.<\/strong><\/p>\n If at any point you feel something is not right or you fear for safety, you can reach out to an advocate to get the support and help that you need. Many survivors may not realize they are being stalked because the behaviors seem minor or harmless when you describe them to others.<\/p>\n Safe Horizon\u2019s 24-hour anonymous hotline is staffed with trained advocates who can provide a listening ear. Call us at 1-800-621\u2013HOPE (4673) or visit our Hotlines page for more information<\/a>.<\/p>\n The Victim Connect Helpline and Resource Center was created by The National Center for Victims of Crime to provide information and referrals for victims of all crime. The National Resource Hotline is available to help anyone around the nation. You can call their Helpline at 855-4-VICTIM (855-484-2846) or visit their survivor help website here<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" How can you recognize stalking behavior? Read these 5 signs of stalking to know if you or someone you know is being stalked and how to get help.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":13,"featured_media":{"id":5307,"alt_text":"Am I Being Stalked? 5 Signs To Look For","caption":"","description":"","media_type":"image","media_details":{"width":1000,"height":667,"file":"2018\/02\/Am-I-Being-Stalked-5-Signs-To-Look-For-e1518467698461.jpg","sizes":{"thumbnail":{"file":"Am-I-Being-Stalked-5-Signs-To-Look-For-150x150.jpg","width":150,"height":150,"mime-type":"image\/jpeg","source_url":"https:\/\/www.safehorizon.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/02\/Am-I-Being-Stalked-5-Signs-To-Look-For-150x150.jpg"},"medium":{"file":"Am-I-Being-Stalked-5-Signs-To-Look-For-300x200.jpg","width":300,"height":200,"mime-type":"image\/jpeg","source_url":"https:\/\/www.safehorizon.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/02\/Am-I-Being-Stalked-5-Signs-To-Look-For-300x200.jpg"},"medium_large":{"file":"Am-I-Being-Stalked-5-Signs-To-Look-For-768x512.jpg","width":768,"height":512,"mime-type":"image\/jpeg","source_url":"https:\/\/www.safehorizon.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/02\/Am-I-Being-Stalked-5-Signs-To-Look-For-768x512.jpg"},"large":{"file":"Am-I-Being-Stalked-5-Signs-To-Look-For-1024x683.jpg","width":1024,"height":683,"mime-type":"image\/jpeg","source_url":"https:\/\/www.safehorizon.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/02\/Am-I-Being-Stalked-5-Signs-To-Look-For-1024x683.jpg"}},"image_meta":{"aperture":"10","credit":"Getty Images\/iStockphoto","camera":"Canon EOS 70D","caption":"Woman give stop gesture to man's gift and red rose, close up shot on white background","created_timestamp":"1512316183","copyright":"This content is subject to copyright.","focal_length":"50","iso":"100","shutter_speed":"0.004","title":"Woman give stop gesture to man's gift","orientation":"1","keywords":["hand","girl","guy","gift","give","rose","reject","palm","refuse","present","white","red","ribbon","box","apology","excuse","cardigan","flower","arm","isolated","relationship","couple","trouble","problem","forgive","love","fight","close up","stop","marriage","2"]}},"post":5304,"source_url":"https:\/\/www.safehorizon.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/02\/Am-I-Being-Stalked-5-Signs-To-Look-For-e1518467698461.jpg"},"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[2015],"tags":[290,825,823,827,829],"class_list":["post-5304","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-safe-blog","tag-stalking","tag-stalking-behavior","tag-stalking-behaviors","tag-stalking-sign","tag-stalking-signs","issue-stalking"],"acf":{"page_header_title":"","page_header_image":"https:\/\/www.safehorizon.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/04\/silhouette_hero_image.png","original_url":"","related_initiative_title":"How do we help survivors of stalking?","related_initiative_link":"\/get-help\/stalking\/","related_initiative_link_text":"Learn about our services","featured_posts":[{"ID":4213,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2017-03-31 15:18:15","post_date_gmt":"2017-03-31 15:18:15","post_content":"By Jill Reyes<\/em>\r\nMarch 31, 2017<\/em>\r\n\r\nSafe Horizon leads efforts to increase stalking awareness for teens and young adults. This includes online stalking behaviors, known as cyberstalking. Abusers can often use modern technology and social networking to intimidate and coerce their partners. To address growing concerns around cyberstalking for teens and young adults, we partnered with the Bronx Borough President\u2019s Office, Bronx District Attorney\u2019s Office, Bronx Family Justice Center, and New York City Department of Probation (DOP) to create the following stalking infographic that was supported with funding through the Department of Justice (DOJ):\r\n\r\n
\n<\/em>January 31, 2018<\/em><\/p>\n1. Cyberstalking<\/h2>\n
2. Unannounced and Unwanted Visits<\/h2>\n
3. Sending Unwanted Gifts<\/h2>\n
4. Attempting to Obtain Information from Others<\/h2>\n
5. Vandalizing or Damaging Your Property<\/h2>\n
Get Help<\/h1>\n
![\"Stalking](\"https:\/\/www.safehorizon.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/03\/Stalking-Information-for-Social-Media-and-Electronics-Users-410x1024.png\")
\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\nThe stalking infographic is a simple way to help teens and young adults identify controlling or negative behavior in the context of technology and social media. It proposes steps they can take if they feel that these stalking behaviors apply to their situation.\r\nInformation for Stalking<\/h1>\r\nWhile some people are stalked by strangers, most stalking is committed by someone known to the victim, such as an intimate partner or acquaintance. Stalking can get more serious over time and can happen to anyone regardless of race, culture, gender identity, age, or sexual orientation.\r\n
Help for Stalking<\/h1>\r\nStalking is against the law in every state, however, the crime of stalking is defined differently in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and on tribal and federal lands.\r\n\r\nIf you, or a teen you know, is experiencing any of the harmful behaviors mentioned in the stalking infographic, please read or share the following infographic. You can also use and share our Tech Safety<\/a> page as a guide, visit our domestic violence page<\/a>, stalking page<\/a>, or call one of our Hotlines<\/a>.\r\n\r\n ","post_title":"Stalking Information for Social Media and Electronics Users","post_excerpt":"This stalking information for technology and social media users including teens and young adults can help identify controlling or negative behaviors in relationships.","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"stalking-information-social-media-electronics","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2025-06-10 13:06:45","post_modified_gmt":"2025-06-10 17:06:45","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"http:\/\/www.safehorizon.org\/?p=4213","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}]},"yoast_head":"\n