2008 Woodie Awards
Stalking
Allison Stice
Issue date: 1/31/07 Section: News
University experts redefined stereotypes associated with stalkers and offered resources to victims last night during one in a series of events promoting Stalking Awareness Week.
During the question and answer session, titled "Stalking on Campus," about 30 students spoke with administrators from the Office of the Victim Advocate, discussing issues ranging from how to deal with being stalked to the different ways stalking can occur.
Stalking has become a relevant issue on college campuses. According to a survey conducted by the U.S. Department of Justice, more than 1 in 8 college females will be victims of stalking.
"It's not going to be the guy with the dark coat standing in the alley and looking into your bedroom window," said Erin Arnold, victim advocate manager of outreach and student services. "It's going to be the ex-boyfriends and ex-girlfriends."
According to the National Center for Victims of Crime, campus environments are a breeding ground for stalking, as they allow for easy monitoring of a target's routines and, usually, easy access into buildings and dorms. In addition, the popularity of Facebook and other social networking sites add to the availability of personal information.
Despite the dangers of stalking on campuses, university officials say the topic isn't taken as seriously as it should be.
"In our culture, in the popular media, it's such a joke," said Mollie Monahan, sexual assault prevention coordinator.
The same survey found that 80 percent of victims did not notify authorities when they are stalked. According to Victim Advocate Courtney Fisher, students are discouraged from reporting stalking because of the difficulty of proving the accusation. Stalking is unique in that it is one of the few crimes in which the victim has to collect their own evidence.
"If you call the police and say, 'Someone won't stop calling me', they're not going to come and arrest anybody," she said.
Fisher's office specializes in providing services to victims including letters of no-contact, safety planning brainstorming, referrals to attorneys that will take the case pro-bono and logging of stalking incidents.
As stalker behavior only tends to get worse the longer it goes on, Monahan stressed the intertwining of stalking, domestic abuse and sexual assault. She said 80 percent of victims of stalking suffer psychologically.
"That base-line stress that always stays with you has a big impact on victims of this crime," she said.
Contact reporter Allison Stice at sticedbk@gmail.com.
During the question and answer session, titled "Stalking on Campus," about 30 students spoke with administrators from the Office of the Victim Advocate, discussing issues ranging from how to deal with being stalked to the different ways stalking can occur.
Stalking has become a relevant issue on college campuses. According to a survey conducted by the U.S. Department of Justice, more than 1 in 8 college females will be victims of stalking.
"It's not going to be the guy with the dark coat standing in the alley and looking into your bedroom window," said Erin Arnold, victim advocate manager of outreach and student services. "It's going to be the ex-boyfriends and ex-girlfriends."
According to the National Center for Victims of Crime, campus environments are a breeding ground for stalking, as they allow for easy monitoring of a target's routines and, usually, easy access into buildings and dorms. In addition, the popularity of Facebook and other social networking sites add to the availability of personal information.
Despite the dangers of stalking on campuses, university officials say the topic isn't taken as seriously as it should be.
"In our culture, in the popular media, it's such a joke," said Mollie Monahan, sexual assault prevention coordinator.
The same survey found that 80 percent of victims did not notify authorities when they are stalked. According to Victim Advocate Courtney Fisher, students are discouraged from reporting stalking because of the difficulty of proving the accusation. Stalking is unique in that it is one of the few crimes in which the victim has to collect their own evidence.
"If you call the police and say, 'Someone won't stop calling me', they're not going to come and arrest anybody," she said.
Fisher's office specializes in providing services to victims including letters of no-contact, safety planning brainstorming, referrals to attorneys that will take the case pro-bono and logging of stalking incidents.
As stalker behavior only tends to get worse the longer it goes on, Monahan stressed the intertwining of stalking, domestic abuse and sexual assault. She said 80 percent of victims of stalking suffer psychologically.
"That base-line stress that always stays with you has a big impact on victims of this crime," she said.
Contact reporter Allison Stice at sticedbk@gmail.com.
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