January is National Stalking Awareness Month

By Ashley Shaw, PAVE Coordinator, Mental Health America of Licking County

As a violence prevention educator, people often tell me stories about their experiences with violence and many of the stories involve the serious crime of stalking.

According to the Stalking Resource Center, stalking is defined as a course of action directed at a specific individual that would cause a reasonable person to feel fear.

Television and movies promote commonly held beliefs about stalking which are inaccurate. For instance, many think that only strangers, often with a mental illness, are the ones who commit this serious crime, when almost the exact opposite is true. According to statistics from the Stalking Resource Center:

• 77% of female victims and 64% of male victims know their stalker.
• 59% of female victims and 30% of male victims are stalked by an intimate partner.
• Intimate partner stalkers frequently approach their targets, and their behaviors escalate quickly.

Through the impact stalking can have on a victim’s daily life, it is very clear to see why more people need to be made aware of them.

A victim of stalking is very likely to experience serious changes to his or her daily life.

• 26% of stalking victims lost time from work as a result of their victimization, and 7% never returned to work.
• 30% of female victims and 20% of male victims sought psychological counseling.
• The prevalence of anxiety, insomnia, social dysfunction, and severe depression is much higher among stalking victims than the general population.

Because of the prevalence, stalking is something that each of us needs to take seriously. The number of stalking victims in the United States is astounding: 1,006,970 women and 370,990 men are stalked annually. The good news is that there is help available to victims of such a serious crime.

A first line of defense when dealing with stalking is educating yourself about the topic and the legal aspects that can be involved. I urge all readers to familiarize themselves with the topic of stalking so that it can be recognized and prevented as much as possible. The state of Ohio has laws in place to protect victims and prosecute stalkers. Depending on the seriousness of the crime, charges can range from a first degree misdemeanor to a fourth degree felony. Jail or prison time varies as well depending on the specifics of any given case. If you or someone you know is being stalked, call 9-1-1 immediately to get law enforcement involved.

Through education and awareness, communities can support victims and combat the crime. There are plenty of resources available at Mental Health America of Licking County or on websites such as the Stalking Resource Network Website (www.ncvc.org/src).

The P.A.V.E program (Prevent Assault and Violence Education) is participating in a community awareness campaign by hanging up informational posters in area Licking County schools. We hope that through the poster campaign we can build a knowledgeable community that offers support to stalking victims and increases the prevention of potential victims.

For more information please contact Ashley Shaw at (740) 522-2277 or ashaw@mhalc.org.