Mind. - This Was The Beginning Of My Fear 8 Truths About Stalking You Need To Know. The word “stalking” has taken on a whole new meaning in the cultural lexicon. It’s the word we increasingly use to describe the garden-variety, 21st-century voyeurism we partake in everyday — behaviors at which no one bats an eye. “Stalking” a person online before an upcoming date is common, even de rigueur. “Stalking” frenemies we haven’t talked to in years (but still know all about via their Facebook profiles) has basically become a new pastime.
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| One in 6 women will be stalked in her lifetime, data shows. (Photo: Istock/Yahoo) |
Read on for five truths about stalking — so you know what to look out for, and how to get the right help if you need it.
1. Stalking is a lot more common than you think.
When looking just at women, 1 in 6 — and that’s a conservative estimate — will be stalked at some point over the course of her life. Using a wider definition, though, involving persistent behaviors that make victims uncomfortable or fearful, that number is closer to 1 in 4 women.
2. You probably know your stalker.
Stalking is not a random crime. Generally, a stalker is someone the victim knows (or knew) well — often an ex or someone who was (or wishes to be) romantic with the victim. “It’s an intimate partner in about 50 percent of cases,” Garcia says. “In other situations, it’s an acquaintance — it could be a relative, a casual friend, or a person you see at the coffee shop every morning.” The point is, victims are usually familiar with, or at least aware of, the person doing the stalking.
3. Stalking is usually a slow and steady build.
A pattern of stalking is generally not an immediate, in-your-face realization. Pursuit is often a collection of behaviors that start small but then grow to something bigger, from a few strange emails to excessive, unpredictable, in-person contacts. “One of the biggest challenges with stalking is that individual behaviors are part of a bigger picture when it comes to stalking,” says Garcia. “It’s a progression, and it’s always context dependent. It’s not criminal to call or to send someone flowers.”
4. Often, cyberstalking precedes physical stalking.
With all this in mind, it’s not a bad idea for people to filter their social-media contacts — or at least think twice before accepting someone they’re not comfortable or familiar with into your circle.
5. Victims may not recognize stalking behaviors, or take them seriously when they do notice them.
One of the weirdest facets of stalking in our tech-savvy culture is how often people blow off the warning signs. “Victims will recognize it’s happening, but they don’t realize it’s stalking,” says Garcia. This is because we live in a world where we can block out the noise we don’t want to hear.
The Original Article : "'This Was The Beginning Of My Fear': 8 Truths About Stalking You Need To Know"
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