Here is what you can do, if you’re being stalked
Steps you can take if you think you’re being stalked or you’re getting stalked. Also the steps you can take if someone you know is being stalked.
Welcome to our first blog of the weekly video series, Offensive Comments. Each week I interview someone and we discuss topic related to sexual harassment. This week episode is about stalking, what can you do as a victim and what can a friend do.
Here is the video,
And the podcast version,
We talked about the following topics. I’ve summarized the points from the video, if you would like to know more about one question I’ve the time cues on questions.
1. How is stalking different than looking someone up on Facebook? 0:57
Stalking can be looking someone up for 2 or more occasions, when it becomes so repaetaed that you’re looking into 3 months into someone’s Facebook to know everything about their life or to use technology to look where you are. If someone has a feeling of fear of when someone is following them, it would be a case of stalking.
2. What to do when you know you’re being stalked? 5:00
Reporting to local police that you’re being stlaked. Keeping a track of how the stalker is trying to stalk you. Note all the events and tell police and its better to save secreenshots and proof for the stalking.
It is also upto victim to know what they want police to do about it. Police can give a warning call, if the victim would like. Warning call might stop the perprator or it might not.
Another option could be to pursue restraining order (Wikipedia) against the perprator.
3. If not want to report, what can we do? 9:27
Consult with friends/family and get their opinion. Often times it will help to understand it better while talking with friends and family. If you know someone who had been stalked before ask them how are they dealing with it.
Share it people who you think can support you.
Here are some additional resources
4. What can a friend do? 10:38
If you are a friend of a person you know who is being stalked, you can help a lot.
Say things like,
“What can I do to make you comfortable?”
“Do you think you want to report it?”
Don’t say things like,
“I don’t think it’ll happen to you”
“That’s absurd ”
DON’T reject your friend’s feelings.
That’s all I had for this episode. Next week we will talk about,
