January is National Stalking Awareness Month

January is National Stalking Awareness Month, a time to focus on a crime that affects 3.4 millions victims a year. Joan Markley, one of Turning Point’s Victims’ Rights Advocates, shares that she has seen an increase in stalking cases.

Turning Point’s Victims’ Rights Advocates work with their clients to secure Stalking Civil Protection Orders when the stalker and victim are in a relationship. This is used when there is a lack of physical evidence and a domestic violence civil protection order is not an option. When there is no intimate partner or domestic relationship, victims are referred to Victims’ Assistance.

Markley states, “It is essential that those who feel they might be a victim of stalking take precautions for their safety and the safety of those around them.”

She offers some suggestions, including:

• Never contact the stalker to try to reason with them.
• Document all stalking incidents or actions in a journal and keep it in a safe place. Keep all evidence of the stalking including notes, answering machine tapes, emails and text messages. Ask any witnesses to provide a written statement of what they observed and provide contact information.
• Safeguard your social security number and personal information. Open a post office box, have an answering machine pick up all of your calls and ask utility companies to require a password for any to access your accounts.
• Use a different schedule and route of travel each day and know the safe locations in your area.

To learn more about stalking and Stalking Awareness Month, visit the following website www.stalkingawarenessmonth.org.

Turning Point offers a 24-hour hotline for victims of domestic violence. If you or someone you know needs help or if you would like more information, please call (800) 232-6505 or (740) 382-8988.

More information is also available on the Turning Point website www.turningpoint6.org.

Recognizing this serious crime, President Obama has proclaimed January as National Stalking Awareness Month. His proclamation follows:
 
In our schools and in our neighborhoods, at home and in workplaces across our Nation, stalking endangers the physical and emotional well-being of millions of American men and women every year. Too often, stalking goes unreported and unaddressed, and we must take action against this unacceptable abuse. This month, we stand with all those who have been affected by stalking and strengthen our resolve to prevent this crime before it occurs.

Stalkers inspire fear through intimidation, explicit or implied threats, and nonconsensual communication often by telephone, text message, or email that can cause severe emotional and physical distress. Many victims suffer anxiety attacks, feelings of anger or helplessness, and depression. Fearing for their safety, some are forced to relocate or change jobs to protect themselves. And, tragically, stalking can be a precursor to more violent offenses, including sexual assault and homicide. The consequences of this crime are real, and they take a profound and ongoing toll on men, women, teens, and children across our country.

Despite the dangerous reality of stalking, public awareness and legal responses to this crime remain limited. New data show that one in six women and one in 19 men have experienced stalking that caused them to be very fearful or feel that they or someone close to them were in immediate physical danger. Among men and women alike, victims are most commonly stalked by current or former intimate partners, and young adults are at the highest risk for stalking victimization. Though stalking can occur in any community, shame, fear of retribution, or concerns that they will not be supported lead many victims to forego reporting the crime to the police. As we strive to reverse this trend, we must do more to promote public awareness and support for survivors of stalking.

My Administration is working to advance protection and services for stalking victims, empower survivors to break the cycle of abuse, and bring an end to violence against women and men. With unprecedented coordination between Federal agencies, we are promoting new tools to decrease the incidence of domestic violence, sexual assault, dating violence, and stalking, and we are taking action to ensure perpetrators are held accountable. To reinforce these efforts, advocates, law enforcement officials, and others who work with victims must continue to improve their capacity to respond with swift and comprehensive action. From raising awareness to pursuing criminal justice, all of us have a role to play in stopping this senseless and harmful behavior.

This month, let us come together to prevent abuse, violence, and harassment in all their forms and renew our commitment to bring care and support to those in need.

(Presidential Proclamation -- National Stalking Awareness Month, 2012)