"Course of conduct" is defined as a pattern of two or more acts over a period of time, however short, that evidence a continuity of purpose. This includes direct, indirect, or 3rd party actions. "Substantial emotional distress" means significant mental suffering or anguish that may, but does not necessarily, require medical or other professional treatment or counseling. Most stalkers are current or former romantic partners of their victims however sometimes they may be acquaintances (coworkers, classmates, neighbors, friends) or may have never met their victims at all.
What Stalkers Do:
- Continue to contact you even though you have told them to stop.
- Send unwanted gifts, letters, cards, messages, or e-mails.
- Follow you and show up wherever you are.
- Drive by or hang out at your home, school, or work.
- Post information, photos or rumors about you on social media, in a public place, or by word of mouth.
- Damage your home, car, or other property.
- Monitor your phone calls or computer use.
- Use technology, like hidden cameras or global positioning systems (GPS), to track your physical location.
- Threaten to hurt you, your family, friends, or pets.
- Other actions that control, monitor, or frighten you.
The Fear Element
What causes someone to feel fear is often subjective. Stalking victims may be fearful of threats or actions that to an outside perspective may seem innocuous or insignificant. For example, finding a rose on one's car may seem innocent and even romantic, but for a stalking victim, it may be a message that his/her stalker has found them.
Cyberstalking
- Cyberstalking can be defined as threatening behavior or unwanted advances directed at another using electronic or digital means, such as social media, email, messaging or posts in discussion groups or forums.
- Cyberstalking can take many forms such as: threatening, harassing or obscene messages; spamming (in which a stalker sends a victim numerous messages); online harassment or flaming (online verbal abuse); doxing (publicly releasing private or identifying information about an individual); sending electronic viruses; tracing another person's computer/phone/internet activity and location, and impersonation or electronic identity theft.
If You Experience Stalking:
- Contact a CARE advocate at 910.512.4821. We can provide information, safety-planning, and help navigate options.
- Trust your instincts. Often our gut feelings give us important information even when they aren't supported by evidence. Listen to your intuition: it gives us important information.
- Maintain a stalking log detailing the date, time, length of unwanted calls, emails, messages and direct contact by the person stalking you. Save evidence (emails, messages, photos, call logs) when possible.
- Tell others you are being stalked: your family, friends, neighbors, RA and RC, or apartment manager if you live off campus.
- Consider reporting to law enforcement in the jurisdiction where you experienced the stalking behaviors.
- Change your daily routines and routes to and from work/school/activities.
- Consider changing your phone number to an unpublished number. CARE advocates can assist in removing your information from the UNCW directory through the Registrars Office.
- UNCW Police officers can offer escort service to and from locations on campus.
- Emergency call boxes are available all over campus to contact University Police in cases of an emergency.
- Download the UNCW LiveSafe App for additional safety resources.
Additional Resources
Stalking Resource Center - National Center for Victims of Crime
Tech Safety - National Network to End Domestic Violence
