Stalking vs Harassment
Many people think that stalking or harassment happens only to stars, but the truth is that this might happen to any ordinary person.
You can consider stalking as unwanted and persistent attention that does make you feel harassed and annoyed. It might include behavior that occurs more than one time, directed at you by someone. It makes you feel distressed or alarmed that violence may be used against you.
So, what causes the issue particularly tough to handle is that this might continue for a longer time. It might make you feel persistently afraid off and anxious. Often the issue might build up gradually, and it would take some time for you to come to know that you’re caught up in a continuous campaign of harassment or abuse.
Harassment can include things like:
insults repeated more than once by one person to you
bullying in the workplace or at school;
sending abusive messages on mobile;
antisocial behaviour;
cyberstalking that happens on the internet;
sending unasked presents.
Stalking is a serious type of harassment that includes stuff like:
going uninvited to someone’s home;
loitering somewhere often by the person;
spying or watching on someone;
continuously following or watching someone:
monitoring somebody’s use of the email, internet or other types of communication on the internet;
interfering with someone’s personal property;
identity theft.
Harassment and stalking might have detrimental consequences on somebody’s mental and physical health.
Stalking and Harassment Law
The PHA or Protection from Harassment Act 1997 figures out harassment offenses like ‘distress or causing alarm’ (sec. 2), & ‘putting someone in fright of violence’ (sec. 4).
Also, the behavior should occur on more than one occasion from a similar group or person, and then it comes under harassment. But it might be different forms of behavior on every occasion. Like, on social media, a one-time threatening comment is not considered harassment. One comment or two comments and one text message might be harassment.
The Protection of Freedoms Act 2012 made two latest offenses that effectively identify stalking as the criminal offense:
Sec. 2A: Stalking – harassment that includes a course of conduct which amounts to the stalking
Sec. 4A: Stalking that might be committed in two ways, specifically
Stalking that involves terror of violence
Stalking that involves serious distress or alarm
Though stalking is not defined in legal terms, sec. 2A (3) of the PHA 1997 includes different behaviors that are like stalking, namely:
attempting to contact, or contacting, someone by any kind of mean
loitering in a place (private or public)
spying or watching on a person
following someone consistently
monitoring someone’s use of the email, internet, or other forms of communication on the internet
interfering with a person’s property
In addition, the new offense mentioned in sec. 4A says that the behavior of a defendant has an adverse impact on the day-to-day activities of the victim. It might include:
the victim who arranges for somebody else to pick children up from educational institute
the victim who changes the way that they are stopping or socialize completely
the victim who changes their usual route to employment, work or work patterns
the victim who puts in place more security measures at home
This law applies to UK residents. If you are living somewhere else, then you should know about the harassment and stalking laws of your own country, as this creates general awareness in a person.
Harassment
“This involves threatening, abusive or insulting words, behaviours or communications. Such behaviours may be actionable if a) it is meant to cause you harassment, alarm or distress or b) is likely to cause you these feelings and you heard or saw the offending behaviours or words.”
Sounds familiar? How many times someone has tried to diminish you? How many times someone has insulted you over and over? While we all feel it’s not ok, we let people treat us badly, emotionally abuse us yet, we make up thousands of excuses to justify their behaviour but why?
Because we are vulnerable (which is totally ok), because we are good people and we can’t ultimately believe that someone can treat us like that because we probably never came across to narcissists… I will go dig more on narcissism with a specific blog post in the very near future.
But now, let’s try to understand the difference between cyberstalking and online harassment.
Cyberstalking and Online Harassment
The modern technology has surely made routine life easier; however, it has opened new opportunities up for harassment and stalking.
The cyberstalkers are often driven by similar intentions like non-digital stalkers that is to embarrass or threaten the victims. The major difference is they depend on the technology that includes emails, social media, and instant messaging to do such activities. The cyberstalkers might use everything available on the web for making unasked contact along with the victims.
There’re some kinds of online stalking that include:
Virtually visiting their victims through Google Maps Street View
Noticing geotags for tracking a victim’s location
Catfishing
Hijacking webcams
It is crucial to try & safeguard oneself against these cyberstalkers by limiting the information that is accessible online about you. More importantly, you have to also test the ‘googleability’ by simply running a search of your on the web search engine.
As far as social media is concerned, you must review the privacy settings limiting the visibility of the account. Then, only your followers and friends will be able to see your photos, updates, and personal information.
Impacts of Stalking on a Person
The higher unpredictability of such crime sometimes has a great effect on the victims. As every stalking case is a bit different from the other, and so is the extent to which a person gets affected
Most victims experience the same feelings such as fear, shame, anger, guilt, and self-blame.
Such experience might take the toll physically: nightmares and/or sleeplessness, depression, stomach problems, anxiety attacks, headaches, and stress-related disorders.
Most victims also find themselves alone.
Every stalking victim finds his or her life disturbed.
Methods to increase personal safety
You aren’t alone at all! You need to speak about this, like call the police, contact a community aid service, or by telling your friend, family member, or co-worker. You need to maintain all notes in detail regarding the stalking conduct.
Threats, dates, actions, times, and places are simpler to remember and explain if written down. You need to keep recorded voicemail texts, messages, emails, letters, gifts, and notes that were sent to you by the stalker. Keep the list of all emergency numbers (like police, co-workers, immediate family, victim’s advocacy groups, and friends) posted in different locations.
Practical Ideas
Things that you can easily do, in case you notice that you are facing stalking or harassment that include:
Trying to keep ‘evidence’ of all events that occur at your house – but you need to be much careful to do it discreetly. Moving the camera at somebody who is actually harassing you would unlikely to assist and can make things even worse.
Maintain a diary of different events. Mention the date, location, time, and each detail of what is going on. It is a nice idea to write down information about other witnesses as well who might confirm what actually happened.
Keep copies of text messages, letters, and emails. Take screenshots of all online messages (for instance, on Facebook or Twitter, etc.).
In November 2012, stalking was made the criminal offense in Wales and England. Two more offenses came into being that include stalking, & stalking somewhere there’s a fright of violence. The alterations were prepared under the PFA or Protection of Freedoms Act 2012.
Protective Steps to Follow
Tell others:
You can tell all your teachers, co-workers, friends, school counselors, family members, neighbors, and security where you work and live. Your workplace or school might have some programs to assist in dealing with harassment.
Keep your private information private:
You need not mention the social insurance number, except for the income tax forms and banking. Remove your personal details from stuff you throw away or recycle. You should also remove the nameplate & other information that is at your workplace.
Stay cautious on the phone call:
Consider all unlisted numbers. You need to carry your mobile for emergency calls. You should use calling features of your phone service provider: Block Caller Display, Call Trace, and Call Reject, to name a few.
Stay at a distance:
Don’t agree to contact someone who you consider might be stalking you, otherwise, ask help from the police. All stalking situations are quite different. Hence, consider that often, when some stalker meets or is confronted with any kind of resistance, he or she might react or the conduct might escalate.
Police Help
For getting in touch with nearby police, either you should go to the police station.
Harassment Warnings
Right after listening to all descriptions of the abuser’s behavior, the police may not take any legal action. So, they may issue the abuser with some kind of harassment warning. Such warning is called PINs (police information notices) or harassment warning notice.
Injunctions
When the police do not charge an abuser, then you might apply for the injunction.
The injunction might forbid the abuser from following certain things like contacting you indirectly or directly, going at your home, workplace, or kid’s school.
What if your injunction is not followed or ignored by an abuser?
When the charged breaks an injunction, you’ve two choices:
Report your police the breach
Write an application for returning to the court because the injunction was made over there
Restraining Orders
In case the stalker is fined by the police & the case is sent to the criminal court, then the court might issue the restraining order for your protection. Sometimes, the restraining order is made even when the charged isn’t found guilty.
Just like an injunction, the restraining order keeps the abuser away from doing specific actions. Moreover, breaking the order is just like a criminal offense. So, resultantly, you can’t apply yourself for one.
Conclusion
Stalking and harassment involve different actions that can make you feel in danger or afraid. They are considered a serious crime and might lead to violence. You should take action if you happen to be in such situation, do no hesitate for a second.
When you find yourself being stalked or harassed, you need not speak to the victim directly in a totally misguided attempt in order to clear the things up. Get immediate legal help from police to safeguard your basic.