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What is stalking?

If you have ended a relationship but your ex-partner is continuing to contact you, and you aren’t responding, or you fear if you don’t respond they might get worse, this is Stalking. They might also be turning up to your home or other places uninvited, seem to know your whereabouts without you telling them, be contacting your friends about you, or making allegations to professionals. Any of these behaviours are Stalking. In addition, having been in an intimate relationship they have significant knowledge of your life, routines, any vulnerabilities, your devices and accounts, any of which they could be using to Stalk you.

This behaviour is illegal. Maybe you aren’t sleeping, are feeling extremely anxious and on edge, have changed your daily routines to avoid your ex. You do not have to live like this, we can help.

Next Chapter can advise you of your options and support you with whatever steps you are ready to take to increase your safety – it is your choice. We will work with you at your pace, we can advocate to others for you, we are non-judgemental and understanding of the impact Stalking has.

We are independent of Police. But if you choose to report, we can support you throughout the process, and advocate for you as experts in Stalking. Maybe you’ve already reported and don’t feel you are being taken seriously – we can help.

What does stalking look like?

Stalking can take many forms. Often, a victim may experience the stalker:

• Publishing victims address online alongside malicious allegations about them, or to sex/chat websites (and giving out their address)
• Driving past the victim’s house several times a week
• Asking victim’s neighbours to report back on victim’s movements
• Calling and pretending to be a professional to elicit info from victim, or making malicious Allegations to professionals to cause distress
• Alleging fraud to DWP to freeze benefits, (if perp previously had control of all bills and money) Not passing on any info of bills and cancelling/changing into victim’s name without their knowledge which accrues debts – eg car insurance if victim owns and uses the car, signing them up to catalogues - (financial abuse)

• Using fake and numerous social media accounts across all platforms to follow/friend victim and their friends and family online
• Using withheld/new & unknown numbers/email addresses to continue contacting after being blocked
• Cyber stalking – having access to smart devices/ring doorbell in the home after separation, Hacking email address, bank account, etc
• Escalating significantly if victim doesn’t answer, so that victim has to reply/do as they are told to avoid e.g. harm to family

What is a stalker?

Some people are told to stop contacting their ex-partner but feel unable to let go, want lots of ongoing contact, to know what their ex is up to, and reconcile. Some people feel unable to stop contacting, or try to “bump into” their ex, or feel angry if they don’t get a reply and decides to go to their ex’s home address instead of texting and calling. Some people might make threats to get what they want. Some feel that mental health is impacting behaviour, or drinking or drug use is increasing. If you recognise any of the behaviours in yourself, you can get help to change.

Please go to The Change hub: The Change Hub - The Change Project (thechange-project.org)

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16 days of action began on 25th November with International Day for the elimination of violence against women and girls. What is #16Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence?

It is a campaign to prevent and end violence against women and girls, which is the most pervasive human rights violation worldwide.

16 days of action is all about raising awareness and taking action to change the conditions that perpetuate violence against women and girls. There is #NoExcuse - let’s end and prevent violence now!

More Information

Violence against women & girls is the most pervasive human rights violation worldwide.

Nearly 1 in 3 women and girls globally have been subjected to physical and/or sexual intimate partner

violence, non-partner sexual violence, or both at least once in their life. for daily updates

‍Facts & Figures

Taking Action

Domestic abuse can be easy to spot in a loved one, but would you know what to do in this situation? If you have a friend, family member or colleague who is experiencing domestic abuse, how can you help?

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The Domestic Abuse Report 2019: The Economics of Abuse

The Domestic Abuse Report 2019: The Economics of Abuse is the first thematic report from the Women's Aid series in 2019. Their Annual Audit will be published later this month.

Economic abuse is often misunderstood but it is a key tactic used by perpetrators of domestic abuse to control their partner and stop her from leaving. The Domestic Abuse Report 2019: The Economics of Abuse explores the relationship between domestic abuse and economic resources, looking at the needs and experiences of survivors around finances, welfare, housing and employment (economic needs), and how these needs are met by specialist domestic abuse services.

© Women’s Aid, March 2019
ISBN 978-0-907817-68-0

Please cite this report as:

Women’s Aid (2019) The Domestic Abuse Report 2019: The Economics of Abuse. Bristol: Women’s Aid.

This research study explores the response of the criminal justice system to women who kill abusive men. Through in-depth interviews with some key practitioners, and most crucially with women themselves, we examine the extent to which the law itself, and the way the law is applied, prevent women accessing justice.

Official statistics show that women are more likely to be killed by men who have a history of abusing them, whereas men are rarely killed by intimate partners.

According to official statistics;

• 38% of female victims of homicide were killed by a partner or ex-partner compared with 4% of male victims;
• The most recent Femicide Census report which collects data on women who have been killed by men in the UK, found that a history of previous abuse to the victim was evident in 59% (n=611) of the 1,042 femicides committed by an intimate partner or relative;
• In contrast, this research shows that women who kill their partners do so in the context of being subjected to abuse from the men they kill. In 77% (n=71) of the cases included in this research, there is evidence to suggest that women had experienced violence or abuse from the deceased.

To read more here are the executive summary and the full research reports available to download.

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The responses from the survey show that stalking advocates play a critical role in supporting a victim’s safety and wellbeing, as well as improving outcomes for those wanting to pursue cases within the criminal justice system. The overwhelming majority of respondents reported that their stalking advocate helped them to navigate the criminal justice system (90%) and improved their overall situation (88%).

Over one-third of respondents who were supported by a stalking advocate said their stalking advocate helped them report to the police, and approximately one in four said their stalking advocate helped them on their journey to getting their stalker charged, prosecuted, or convicted. Stalking advocates also helped victims to understand their rights, log evidence, apply for protective orders, and stay up to date on their case. In many cases stalking advocates represented the victim when dealing with police, courts, solicitors, and other professionals within the criminal justice system.

Respondents also said their stalking advocate was vital in ameliorating their overall wellbeing and mental health. Approximately three out of four respondents said their stalking advocate had validated their experiences and confirmed that they were experiencing stalking. Stalking advocates also helped respondents by assessing risk, creating safety plans, and empowering them to take next steps. It was not uncommon for respondents to express how lost they would have been without their advocate’s support.

The survey results demonstrate that stalking advocates have a significant and positive impact on the experiences of stalking victims: yet only one in four respondents worked with one. Many expressed their desire to be connected with a stalking advocate and believed that having a stalking advocate would have greatly improved their situation. Furthermore, only 15% of all respondents who reported to police were referred to a stalking advocate by the police, highlighting the need for better responses from those within the criminal justice system. The report concludes with policy recommendations for the government and criminal justice system, as well as a list of UK organisations that provide specialised stalking support.