What is Stalking?

The Department of Justice defines stalking as a pattern of repeated and unwanted attention, harassment, contact, or any other course of conduct directed at a specific person that would cause a reasonable person to feel fear. 7.5 million people are stalked in one year in the United States and the majority are stalked by someone they know, often a current or former intimate partner.

Stalking behavior can include:

• Making threats against someone, or that person's family or friends

• Non-consensual communication, such as repeated phone calls, emails, text messages, and unwanted gifts

• Repeated physical or visual closeness, like waiting for someone to arrive at certain locations, following someone, or watching someone from a distance

• Any other behavior used to contact, harass, track, or threaten someone

• Technology-facilitated stalking

To get more information about stalking to help yourself or someone else in your life, call or text the regional EmpowerNet Hotline at 804-612-6126. If you would like to request an educational workshop on this topic, please fill out this form.