Stalking Victim’s Help-line “early in New Year”
Added November 25th, 2009 in NSS News
Network for Surviving Stalking welcomes the announcement by the UK Home Office that it will fund the first dedicated help-line for stalking victims.
Stalking is a serious crime that can devastate lives. It can also lead to violence against the victim – including rape and murder. It’s vital that anyone who thinks they’re being stalked takes it seriously and gets specialist advice and support.
Recent research indicates that stalking affects around 1.5 million people in the Uk every year and it’s on the increase.
Network for Surviving Stalking is delighted to be working collaboratively with the Suzy Lamplugh Trust and Protection Against Stalking as well as other funding partners to set-up the multi-media helpline. The project will be launched early in the New Year.
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Editor’s Notes
- Network for Surviving Stalking is a registered charity set up to raise awareness about stalking and harassment. Information about stalking can be found at our web-site http://www.nss.org.uk
- For more information or to arrange interview contact our Press Officer on: (07970)792986
Background Information:
- A 2009 Survey of stalking victims carried out by Chartered Forensic Psychologist Dr Lorraine Sheridan, in conjunction with Network for Surviving Stalking found that 77% of victims surveyed only reported the situation after 100 incidents had taken place.
- Stalking can have huge side effects on a victim – depression, agoraphobia, anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder are just some of the problems stalking victims can experience.
Advice for anyone who thinks they’re being stalked:
- Do not engage with your stalker. Try to show no emotion. Do not confront or agree to meet with them. If you do come into contact, aim to get away ideally to a busy place.
- Contact the local police. Keep a note of the name of the Officer in charge of the case and the crime reference number if applicable.
- Keep a diary with as much detail as possible. Record the details of anything suspicious – telephone calls, sightings, vehicles, mail, texts and emails. Note down dates, times, places, descriptions of clothing etc. Describe what emotional effect the stalking is having on you. The diary may assist the police in their investigation by providing valuable evidence. To make sure this record can be used at any later Court hearing, it must be ‘recorded contemporaneously’ that means write it down immediately while it is still fresh in your mind.
- Keep any evidence. Texts, emails, letters or parcels are all valuable. If you have a camera or video camera, record anything that could be useful evidence of what is happening.
