As part of National Stalking Awareness Week, we’re busting some myths around stalking. Read below.
‘Stalkers are just harmless admirers’ – This is not true. Stalking is not about love, it’s about control, obsession and a sense of entitlement.
‘Violence comes out of nowhere’ – This is not true. Violence is proceeded by signs such as unwanted contact, threats and intimidation, monitoring and following.
‘You can always tell who will become violent’ – This is not true. There is no obvious ‘type’ what matters are they behaviours such as obsession or fixation.
‘Ignoring someone will make them go away’ – This is not true. Sometimes it can increase the risk, as the stalker feels they have lost control.
‘It’s just harmless obsession’ – This is not true. It is targeting a particular person and being fixated and controlling, this can lead to homicide in high risk cases.
‘Dangerous people are easy to spot’ – This is not true. Many people who commit serious violence appear ordinary. It’s not about appearance is about behaviours.
‘Stalking is just annoying, not dangerous’ – This is not true. Serious crime including homicide are proceeded by stalking behaviours. These could include threats, intimidation, and repeated unwanted contact such as messages or calls.
‘Strangers are the biggest threat’ – This is not true. Most stalking and related homicide are committed by someone the victim knows, quite often a current or ex-partner.
‘If there is no physical violence, it’s not serious’ – This is not true. Stalking often starts without physical behaviours, but show warning signs of potential escalation such as threats, intimidation or repeated unwanted contact.
‘The stalker will eventually give up’ – This is not true. Some stalkers can escalate behaviour when they are ignored. They can become aggressive and more persistent.
