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Stalking and Harassment – advice and information

Written by Adrian Worthington, published 11-22-22

Are you being harassed or stalked? Are you worried about a friend or family member who may be in danger? You’re not alone. This post provides information and advice on what to do if you’re being harassed or stalked, as well as how to help someone else who is in danger.

Stalking and harassment is when someone repeatedly behaves in a way that makes you feel scared, distressed or threatened and are offences under the Protection from Harassment Act 1997. There are different types, and anyone can be a victim. The police take these offences seriously and will investigate any reports made to them, so you should always report cases to the police. There is also support from various organisations such as Victim Support which we will touch on later so don’t suffer in silence – help is available. Firstly let’s start with some definitions …

What is harassment?

Harassment is when an example of any unwanted behaviour happens more than once. Examples of this behaviour are below and could be from people you know or complete strangers.

Examples of harassment

• Unwanted phone calls, letters, emails or visits
• Cyber stalking (using the internet to harass someone)
• Antisocial behaviour
• Sending abusive text messages
• Sending unwanted gifts
• Bullying at school or in the workplace

What is sexual Harassment?

Sexual harassment is any kind of unwanted behaviour of a sexual nature that makes you feel humiliated or intimidated, or that creates a hostile environment. Sexual harassment is a form of unlawful discrimination under the Equality Act 2010

Examples of sexual harassment

• Sexual comments, jokes or gestures
• Unwanted sexual advances & staring or leering at your body
• Using derogatory sexual names & catcalling or wolf-whistling
• Unwanted sexual communications, like emails, texts, DMs
• Sharing sexual photos or videos or taking up-skirting images
• Groping and touching
• Indecent exposure
• Pressuring you to do sexual acts

What is stalking?

Stalking is a form of harassment where the stalker has an obsession with their target and can result in more aggressive behaviour. Stalking is not legally defined, but it is generally accepted to include repeated attempts to impose unwanted communications and/or contacts on another person that would be expected to cause distress or fear.

Examples of stalking

• Regularly following someone
• Repeatedly going uninvited to your home
• Checking another person’s electronic communication and internet use
• Hanging around somewhere they know the person often visits
• Interfering with a person’s property
• Watching or spying on someone
• Identity theft

Cyber stalking (Online harassment)

Harassing behaviour can take many different forms. The legislation doesn’t just cover physical contact, it also applies if you engage with someone through social networking sites or chat rooms – this is sometimes known as “cyber-stalking.”

Examples of Cyber Stalking

• Sending manipulative or threatening emails or messages
• Following you online by joining the same groups and forums
• Excessively tagging you in posts or commenting on or liking everything you post online
• Create fake accounts on social media to follow the target
• Hack into your online accounts
• Attempt to extort sex or explicit photos
• Post or distribute real or fake photos of you
• Release confidential information about you online
• Send you sexually explicit photos
• Create fake posts about you to designed to shame

Stalkers can make frequent threats to their victims, either directly or indirectly. Indirect examples include sending wreaths and violent images to the victim (often anonymously).

FOUR Warning signs you are being stalked

If in doubt the police have come up with a simple classifier, you should report you are being stalked if what you are experiencing falls into any of the following behaviour criteria.

Fixated
Obsessive
Unwanted
Repeated

Checklist for Reporting Stalking & Harassment

If you are looking to report an instance of stalking to the police it is advisable to have answers to the following checklist when reporting the crime.

1. Are you frightened?
2. Has the alleged perpetrator engaged in harassment on previous occasions?
3. Has the alleged perpetrator ever destroyed or vandalised your property?
4. Does the alleged perpetrator visit you at work, home, etc, more than three times per week?
5. Has the alleged perpetrator loitered around your home, workplace, etc?
6. Has the alleged perpetrator harassed any third party since the harassment began (ie friends, family, children, partners)?
7. Has the alleged perpetrator acted out violently towards other people within the current stalking incident?
8. Has the alleged perpetrator persuaded other people to help him/her (either wittingly or unwittingly)?
9. Is the alleged perpetrator known to be abusing drugs and/or alcohol?
10. Is the alleged perpetrator known to have been violent in the past (either physically or psychologically)?

How to help with a criminal conviction

It is important to record the details of what happened as soon as possible so you can remember them when it’s time for your statement. Make sure to keep a diary, noting down where and when everything occurred as well any messages or calls received and anyone that may have witnessed your behaviour. How ever distressing do not delete any emails or messages, download, print off and keep the original messages for police inspection. Keep any letters or parcels as evidence, you don’t have to open them to read the contents. Its really important to tell people what you are experiencing, get friends, family and work colleagues to note any instances where they may have encountered behaviour directed towards you such as answering your phone or collecting a package.

Support agencies

You are not alone, there are plenty of organisations you can turn to if you experience any of the behaviour listed above

Suzy Lamplugh Trust – Tel 0808 802 0300

Victim Support – 0808 168 9111

Victims First – 0300 123 4148

Domestic and Sexual Abuse Helpline – 0808 802 1414

If you are experiencing harassment or stalking, please know that you are not alone. There is help available, and the police are there to support victims of these crimes. Please do not hesitate to call 999 if you feel unsafe or need help. You may also want to reach out to a friend or family member for support. Thank you for reading this post, and we hope that you find the information helpful, and remember to always carry one of our alarms for added protection.

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