Victim of Stalking?

Stalking is unpredictable and dangerous. No two stalking situations are alike. There are no guarantees that what works for one person will work for another, yet you can take steps to increase your safety.

• If you are in immediate danger, call 911.
• Trust your instincts. Don’t downplay the danger. If you feel you are unsafe, you probably are.
• Take threats seriously. Danger generally is higher when the stalker talks about suicide or murder or when a victim tries to leave or end the relationship.
• Contact a crisis hotline, victim services agency or a domestic violence or rape crisis program. They can help you devise a safety plan, give you information about local laws, refer you to other services and weigh options such as seeking a protection order.
• Develop a safety plan, including things like changing your routine, arranging a place to stay and having a friend or relative go places with you. Also, decide in advance what to do if the stalker shows up at your home, work, school or somewhere else. Tell people how they can help you.
• Do not communicate with the stalker or respond to attempts to contact you.
• Keep evidence of the stalking. When the stalker follows you or contacts you, write down the time, date and place. Here is a useful stalking incident log in which information can be recorded. Keep emails, phone messages, letters or notes. Photograph anything of yours the stalker damages and any injuries the stalker causes. Ask witnesses to write down what they saw.