"Course of conduct" is defined as a pattern of two or more acts over a period of time. This includes direct, indirect, or 3rd party actions. “Cause a reasonable person to feel fear” factors in that the experience of feeling fear is subjective. What feels threatening or scary to one person may be perceived as insignificant to another person. Notably, 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, social media, 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.
- 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. This includes:
- threatening, harassing, or obscene messages
- spamming (in which a stalker sends a victim numerous messages)
- trolling (posting offensive or provocative messages online)
- doxing (publicly releasing private or identifying information about an individual)
- sending electronic viruses
- tracing another person's computer/phone/internet activity and location
- creating and/or distributing AI (Artificial Intelligence) generated sexually explicitly photos
- impersonating or committing 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.
- 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 Safezone Alert App for additional safety resources.
Additional Resources
Stalking Resource Center - National Center for Victims of Crime
Tech Safety - National Network to End Domestic Violence (an app to consider preventative measures)
