It's a familiar scenario: After a rough break-up, your ex-boyfriend or girlfriend repeatedly sends you unwanted text messages and shows up unannounced in unexpected places. Soon, this behavior makes you feel uncomfortable, but you shake it off and probably do nothing about it. Although this situation is considered common, what most people do not know is that this type of behavior, a course of conduct directed at a specific person that would cause a reasonable person to feel fear, is a form of stalking and is illegal in all 50 states.
According to the National Stalking Resource Center, stalking cases occur most often between current or former intimate partners. It typically involves unwanted contact, often in the form of phone calls or text messages. Stalking can also include following the victim, showing up at his or her workplace or home, threats, sending gifts and even physical abuse or murder.
Eighteen to 24-year-olds experience the highest rate of stalking, and college campuses have become a breeding ground for such behavior. Because this problem is so prevalent on university grounds, students need to be aware of the warning signs and myths. More importantly, they need to know what to do if they find themselves in this type of situation.
College students typically experiment with dating, relationships and sex, meaning that break-ups are an everyday occurrence. When a student is bothered by an ex or former intimate partner, he or she often considers the conduct typical and does nothing about it. If this type of behavior occurs between two people who are acquaintances or strangers, it can be difficult to determine when the attention goes from flattering to obsessive stalking.
The media's lighthearted portrayal of stalking also implies that the crime is not as dangerous or prevalent as it is, which tends to normalize stalking throughout society.
On top of this, college students represent a demographic that uses technology at an extremely high rate, making it easier for stalkers to engage in repeated, unwanted contact. Online stalking has become increasingly common. Even if the victim does not return phone calls or respond to text messages, perpetrators can easily reach him or her through the Internet. Almost all college students use social networking sites like Facebook or Twitter, and university e-mail addresses can be accessed with relatively little effort. Online stalking presents added risks because users often post their current location, plans or class schedules, allowing stalkers to show up at unexpected times and locations during a victim's day.
Because stalking is normalized among university students, the crime is typically under-reported. College students are often unaware that stalking constitutes a serious crime and therefore tend to lack faith in police efforts. This combined with the assumption that seeking help will make a situation worse often deters victims from requesting legal counsel. However, according to the National Center for Victims of Crime, if a person knowingly continues to engage in stalking behavior and causes the victim to experience emotional distress, fear or bodily injury, he or she can be convicted of a felony.
January is Stalking Awareness Month. Students should take the time to familiarize themselves with the warning signs of stalking and learn what to do when they find themselves in these situations. The fear caused by stalking is not something that anyone should brush off or consider normal. Many students believe that these types of instances are harmless, but not all instances of excessive contact are innocent. Students who believe they are being stalked can contact the UW Police Department at 608-264-COPS or Domestic Abuse Intervention Service's crisis line at 608-251-4445.
