ADVICE FOR VICTIMS

Many victims of stalking do not see themselves as stalking victims and may think it will just stop or think stalking is too dramatic a word for the behaviours. Stalking can take many forms – eg a break-up of relationship followed by threats, messages, emails, loitering, creating fake Facebook accounts and equally it could look less obvious and the stalker could be moving your bins, cutting the heads off your flowers alongside other insidious behaviour or threats; the message to you is that you are being watched. Ask yourself are you frightened or is the behaviour causing you distress & alarm?
Stalking is fixated and obsessive behaviour which has an impact on your daily life and routine.

If you think you may be a stalking victim please see the following advice:

Call 999 if you are in danger.
If there are more than two or more stalking behaviours (behaviours that cause serious alarm & distress or fear of violence) you can report this to the police via 101 as stalking.
Keep a record of any police you talk to and crime reference numbers and ask police to join all incidents to the master crime of stalking.
Ensure you keep evidence where possible of screenshots, messages, photos etc.
DO NOT change your mobile number as this will lose evidence and can also cause the stalker to change their behaviour and escalate.
DO NOT respond to a stalker - apart from one message saying not to contact you.
Tell people around you who are safe to tell e.g. a neighbour, friends, colleagues at work, your boss; as a stalker on average will contact up to twenty-one people around the victim.
Google yourself – see what comes up on your digital footprint.
If you move house ensure you fill in a C01 form in order that 192 do not release your address.
Remain invisible on the electoral role.
Change your routes, place where you park, time you walk your dog etc.
Have a safety plan in place in case you need to leave your property – pack an emergency bag with important documents and essentials.
Change locks on the front door, think about how safe your house is.
Ensure geo-locating is off if your device has been compromised.
Change passwords, ensure they are random.
You can still use social media just use it wisely e.g. don’t say where you are going!
Look at civil and criminal remedies e.g. non-molestation order if you were in a relationship or pursuing the criminal offence of stalking. through the Courts in order to obtain a restraining order.
Trust your instinct – there’s no such thing as coincidence with stalking.
PINs (Police Information Notices) also known as “harassment warnings” should not be issued in stalking cases and do not protect a victim from a fixated stalker. It gives the impression to a victim that they are protected, but it is a piece of paper without any power of arrest attached. Some forces are no longer using them e.g. Sussex, Surrey.