The first National Stalking Awareness week was launched on Monday, April 11, with stalking victims describing the impact of stalking on their lives.
Three stalking charities, Protection Against Stalking, Suzy Lamplugh Trust and the Network for Surviving Stalking, have joined forces with the support of the police to raise awareness about the serial nature of stalking.
The charities, on behalf of victims, are calling for the establishment of a register for perpetrators and are calling for police officers to be given specialist training on identifying and dealing with stalking offences.
The British Crime Survey (2006) suggests up to five million people experience stalking or harassment in any given year and that many victims will suffer up to 100 incidents before talking to the police.
The awareness week campaign urges victims to โName it. Report it. Stop itโ. It coincides with the first anniversary of the national stalking helpline which assist victims of stalking.
Many victims say there is little knowledge or understanding of stalking and that it is often regarded as not serious. Stalking, however, is life changing. It is frequently injurious to victims psychological, physical and social functioning, irrespective of whether or not they are physically assaulted.
Laura Richards Director of Operations for Protection Against Stalking and a representative on the National Stalking Awareness Week Board which is responsible for co-ordinating the week says: โStalking is where domestic violence was 20 years ago, which is why this awareness campaign is so important. Stalking destroys lives. Some cases lead to violence including rape and murder. Early intervention in a stalking case is vital and gives the victim the best chance of protection.โ
The charities point out that the word โstalkingโ in England and Wales, does not appear in the Protection from Harassment Act 1997, that the police must have proper search powers for stalkersโ property and that whilst the Protection from Harassment Act 1997 can be used to prosecute all types of stalking but in the case of cyber-stalking, it is difficult to gather technical evidence and prosecutions are rare.
Victims are urged to come forward and report to police โName it. Report it. Stop itโ and to complete the UKs first on-line survey on cyberstalking www.nssadvice.org/survey.
ACPO lead on stalking and harassment Assistant Chief Constable Garry Shewan said:
โThe police service has led the criminal justice system in recognising the harm that stalking can cause victims and weโve been working closely with charities in this area to help our response.
โIt is important to remember that stalking isnโt a โone offโ crime. Itโs a series of incidents which when taken in isolation can appear trivial but when put together they become far more sinister. The challenge for the police service and other agencies is to protect victims by recognising the danger signs, by effective use of legislation and by effective and co-ordinated investigation. At a time when police budgets are under pressure, finding ways to share good practice and improve our response is critical.
โAll forces have officers who specifically deal with stalking crimes, including assessing risk and supporting victims. We encourage all victims of stalking to come forward and report their concerns to police.โ
