Stalking is a pattern of repeated and unwanted attention, harassment, contact, or any other course of conduct directed at a specific person that would cause a reasonable person to feel fear.

To get communities talking about prevention, the Stalking Resource Center, National Center for Victims of Crime, and the Office on Violence Against Women, U.S. Department of Justice, launched National Stalking Awareness Month in 2004. Every January since then, communities across the country have focused on stalking—holding events, sharing information, and building awareness about the crime.

At the University of Illinois, the Women’s Resources Center works to address stalking on campus and provide support and resources for students who are experiencing stalking. Each January, we host an awareness campaign, events and workshops on stalking prevention and supporting a friend or loved one who is being stalked.

Stalking can include:

• repeated, unwanted, intrusive, and frightening communications by phone, mail, email, and/or online or social media
• repeatedly leaving or sending victim unwanted items, presents, or flowers
• following or waiting for the victim at places such as home, school, work, or social/recreation place
• making direct or indirect threats to harm the victim, the victim's children, relatives, friends, or pets
• damaging or threatening to damage the victim's property
• harassing victim through the internet
• posting information or spreading rumors about the victim on the internet, in a public place, or by word of mouth
• obtaining personal information about the victim by accessing public records, using internet search services, hiring private investigators, going through the victim's garbage, tracking the victim, contacting victim's friends, family work, or neighbors, etc.

Source: Stalking Resource Center, National Center for Victims of Crime