Stalking

As defined by SPARC, stalking is a pattern of behavior directed at a specific person that would cause a reasonable person to fear for the person’s safety or the safety of others; or suffer substantial emotional distress.

Stalking behaviors are varied and may change over time. The four major stalking categories are surveillance, life invasion intimidation, and interference.

Facts about Domestic Violence on College Campuses*

• Among undergraduates stalked by an intimate partner:
  • 40% experienced co-occurring coercive control.
  • 32% were sexually assaulted the prior academic year.
  • 27% experienced co-occurring threats for a partner to hurt themselves, the victim, or someone the victim loves.
  • 11% experienced co-occurring physical assault by an intimate partner.
• The majority of college student victims are stalked by someone they know. Most common stalkers are:
  • 33% are former intimate partners.
  • 14% are current intimate partners.
  • 31% are not friends but someone the victim knows of and/or recognizes.
  • 25% are friends.
• The most common stalking behaviors reported by college stalking victims include:
  • Unwanted voice or text messages (45%) 
  • Unwanted emails or social media (44%)
  •  Being approached or seeing the stalker show up at places when the victim did not want them to be there (37%)
• Between 6% and 39% of college students report being stalked since entering college.
   
• 18 to 24-year-olds experience the highest rates of stalking among adults.
   
• People with Autism Spectrum Disorders are more likely to engage in different courting behavior and pursue romantic targets longer, so reports of stalking committed by these students require specialized interventions that include input from disability experts.
   
• For this information and other resources, visit stalkingawareness.org/

*It is important to note that statistics may only represent reported cases and only provide a part of a larger story.