UC Expert: Stalking Victims Need Support, Trust To Help

The most important way to support a stalking victim is to believe them.

Avalon Center Sexual Assault Advocate Stage Ward said if a person is being stalked it is important that they find someone else who can support them. January is National Stalking Awareness Month. Ward said stalking can affect all kinds of people in a number of different ways.

“One in seven stalking victims have to move as a result of their victimization,” Ward said. “Eighty percent of women who are stalked by a current or former husband or partner have also been physically assaulted by that partner, you know? And stalking doesn’t discriminate. It, you know, affects men, women, children, you know, all communities.”

Ward said people who experience stalking are unlikely to report it because they are often not taken seriously. She said the best way to support a potential stalking victim is to believe them when they share their experiences.

“It doesn’t matter if the person that they say is their abuser is a well-known person in the community,” Ward said. “Always believe the victim.”

Ward said people experiencing stalking should reach out to a friend or family member and tell them about the situation.

“But also too reaching out to an advocate or someone in the justice system to try to get an order for protection or restraining order to, you know, keep them self safe,” Ward said.