Stalking and Harassment

If you are feeling suicidal or need mental health support, please call the Samaritans on 116 123 or text Shout on 85258.

In an emergency always call 999. To report a crime you can call 101.

Extra Information and Resources

What else can be done to protect you?

What is stalking?

Stalking is a pattern of repeated, unwanted behaviour that causes you to feel distressed or scared. Anyone can be a victim and anyone can be a perpetrator. Even if you have never been threatened, it is still stalking as long as it is persistent and clearly unwanted.

Stalking can last weeks, months or years. It can cause severe distress to a victim and common side effects can include, PTSD, depression, anxiety, sleep disturbance, paranoia and agoraphobia.

If stalking has just started, it is important to send a safe, clear calm message that you do not want a relationship and the attention is unwanted. It is important to not engage with your stalker and do not be friendly and this may encourage them to continue.

Tips and Advice

Talk to family, friends, neighbours, colleagues or your manager about the harassment if you feel comfortable. They may be able to help with putting protective measures in place
Be aware of how much information is available online and take steps to protect personal information (more information via the National Cyber Security Centre)
Trust your instincts
Collect and evidence you can such as writing a log of incidents with clear date and time
Report it to the police via 101. In an emergency always call 999.
If you accidentally bump into them, go into a nearby shop or business and call 999 if they approach
ask others to keep a log of anything that they see
Think about changing daily routines and the times and locations you visit
Make sure you have caller ID and don’t pick up to unknown numbers
Avoid walking alone at night or in remote areas
Get a personal alarm
Consider letting safe people know where you are going and how long you will be
Always carry your mobile phone and put important numbers on speed dial
Think about safety plans and safe locations on all routes
Get your computer checked for malware if you are worried
Change passwords frequently and don’t use the same passwords
If you haven’t already, install a peephole in your door
Shred paperwork and important information before throwing it out
Keep expenses logs of safety equipment in case the case goes to court, you may get money back
Handle any letters and other things from them carefully as they may have fingerprints
Consider and alarm system for your home
Make sure all doors and windows are always locked
Look after yourself mentally

Don’t

Engage with your stalker in any way, shape or form
Ask family and friends to contact your stalker
show any emotion if you see them
Keep it to yourself
Provide information about yourself to people you don’t know
Try to reason or bargain with a stalker
Blame yourself
Ignore the suggested safety precautions
Obtain any weapons as this can get you into trouble

Consider downloading the Hollie Guard app. Hollie Guard is a smartphone app which has some useful safety features. There are three main features:

Journey feature - allows users to set a start and end point, the app automatically monitors your journey and alerts your nominated contacts once you safely arrive or trigger an alert.
Alert feature - by holding down the hexagon button for 3-6 seconds, you can set off an alert and activate your camera, send a message and recording to your set emergency contacts
Meeting Feature - A timer you set will countdown until deactivated. You have to mark yourself as safe, otherwise it will raise an alert to your emergency contact. This is perfect for getting home safely after a night out.

Location services can be turned off any time you like. Any evidence captured will be saved in the cloud for later use.

What else can be done to protect you?

Stalking Protection Order

This is an order which the police can issue, used to protect a victim of stalking. It can prohibit the stalker from doing certain things like going to certain locations where you live, work or visit often, contacting you in any way, recording images of you and referring to you on social media directly or indirectly. It can also compel the stalker to hand over their electronic devices to police, have a mental health assessment, give over passwords for social media accounts to police, attend a drug or alcohol programme and even sign on at a police station. These orders last a minimum of 2 years and breaking the order is a criminal offence.

Non molestation order

This is an order you can apply for yourself and is for victims of domestic abuse. The order is specifically used when the person stalking or harassing you is an ex partner or close family member. This form of stalking or harassing is still classed as domestic abuse. This order can prohibit the abuser from doing things, including using physical violence or threats, intimidating, harassing, pestering and communicating with you. For this non molestation order, there is an easy fill online tool to help you apply.

Harassment

Harassment is a crime. It may include: sending abusive messages or images, posting abusive messages on social media, neighbours disputes involving abusive behaviour, repeated antisocial behaviour or making unwanted or offensive phone calls. The unwanted behaviour must have happened two times or more and made you feel distressed or threatened in order to be considered harassment. You can report this crime to the police via 101, a police station or online through their website.

For it to be considered harassment, the police will also decide whether a typical person would have been distressed or felt threatened and whether the perpetrator knew or ought to have known you would have felt alarmed or distressed.

If you decide to report, a specially trained police officer in supporting people who have been sexually assaulted will talk to you and help to make sure you understand what is going on at each stage. Your details will be kept as confidential as possible but if there is an investigation and or criminal prosecution, this information is disclosable meaning it has to be produced in court. If there is neither of these, information about you will not be shared to other services without permission unless there is a concern that you or anyone else is at risk of serious harm.

Sexual Harassment

Sexual harassment is any unwanted sexual behaviour that makes someone feel scared, offended, upset or humiliated, or is meant to make them feel that way. It can include many things, including but not limited to;

sexual comments, gestures and noises (e.g. catcalling and whistling),
leering and staring or standing too close to someone
inappropriate jokes, innuendo or suggestive comments
unwanted advances and flirting
Asking for sexual favours
Sending any communication with sexual content e.g. ‘dick pics’ or ‘sexts’ or images of a sexual nature of others
Intrusive questions about a persons private or sex life
Discussing their own sex life
Commenting on someone’s body, appearance and what they are wearing
Spreading sexual rumours
Unwanted physical contact of a sexual nature including hugs, kisses or massaging them
Stalking
Indecent exposure
Taking photos or video under someone clothing ‘upskirting’

Sexual harassment is categorised as unlawful discrimination under the Equality Act 2010. This means you’re protected at work, in education, as a consumer, when using public services, buying or renting property or as a member or guest of a private club or association. People are legally protected when they are in these places so you have the right to make complaints or a claim in civil courts. It can be a one off or repeated and just because it was wanted or not objected to, in the past, doesn’t mean it cannot now be unwanted. This can also be something you witness or overhear rather than intentionally directed at you. If you need help for sexual harassment at work, ACAS can help.

Some forms of sexual harassment are automatically crimes, these are stalking, indecent exposure, upskirting and any sexual harassment involving physical contact (this is sexual assault). Other forms of sexual harassment may only break the law if it happens on more than one occasion intended to cause another person alarm or distress (harassment).

In cases where a crime was committed, the perpetrator can be arrested, charged and face trial. In an emergency always call 999. To report a crime where you are not in danger, call 101, report online or visit a police station to make a report.