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Stalking Awareness Month comes to close |
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Thursday, 31 January 2008 |
by LINDSAY DIEDRICH
Intern Lifestyles Reporter
Two percent of males and 8 percent of females will be stalked in their lifetime, according to anti-stalking.org.
Angela S. Greene is an alumna of Appalachian State and current shelter case management coordinator of the OASIS, Inc. crisis center.
We most often associate stalking with the media and celebrities, it is typically the common person who
is affected by stalking, Greene said.
“Eighty percent of victims are ‘ordinary’ people,” Angela S. Greene.
This primary case is known as an intimate-partner stalker. These stalkers usually develop from people
in former relationships that have not gotten over the ex and will not accept that the relationship has
ended, or are convinced their victim is meant for them, according to antistalking.org.
Delusional stalkers have no personal connection to their victim and most often suffer from a
psychiatric disorder, according to the Web site.
In addition, there are also aggressive stalkers who usually victimize political figures who they feel have done them wrong, according to antistalking.org.
Many times, intimate-partner stalking leads to aggressive stalking.
According to OASIS, Inc. and the Appalachian State University Police, the first step is to make a
report of a case whether he/she has the intention of pressing charges or not.
There are many warning signs of escalating stalking behaviors, Green said.
“A partner exhibiting controlling behaviors such as checking missed calls, reading e-mails, monitoring
the barometer of a car, sending cryptic messages, stealing personal things, and numerous harassing
phone calls” are all signs that you are being stalked, said Green.
If any of these signs are prevalent, there are precautions students should take, Detective Darrin Tolbert
said.
“Report your case immediately whether you are pressing charges or not,” Tolbert said. “Keep a record
of every incident, whether it is the stalker following you, calling you repeatedly, sending you unwanted
e-mails, etc. Tell friends, family members, and co-workers the situation. Do not travel alone, especially
at night, and randomize your travel patterns.”
Remember, anything that is public record, such as utility bills, should have all personal information
changed or cleared.
“Victims should switch to a [post office] box. They should have their name taken off of all bills,” said
Green.
Another common way for a victim to be found is rewards cards a customer can receive at gas stations
and grocery stores.
One precaution students can take before finding themselves in a dangerous situation is to not release
personal information over the Internet.
This includes posting phone numbers, addresses, towns, and schools.
Greene said it is also helpful to “use a nickname when signing up for online profiles.” Facebook and
Myspace are in the public domain so students should be careful what information they release via
these popular sites.
“I wouldn’t say that stalking is a major issue on campus, although it does occasionally occur,” Tolbert
said.
As January ends, University Police confirmed there were no reported stalking cases during the year
2007 on campus.
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