The Office for Civil Rights at Purdue University defines stalking as:  

“Any knowing or intentional course of conduct involving repeated or continued following, threatening or intimidating another person by telephone, mail, electronic communication, social media, in person, or by any other action, device or method when such conduct 1) would cause a reasonable person to suffer substantial emotional distress or fear of bodily injury or death and 2) actually causes such person substantial emotional distress or fear of bodily injury or death.”  

CARE understands how uncertain, confusing, or frightening experiencing stalking can be. Statistics show that 18–24-year-olds experience the highest rate of stalking than any other age demographic. SPARC states almost 13.5 million people (about twice the population of Arizona) experience being stalked each year in the United States. Over a lifetime, 1 in 3 women and 1 in 6 men report being stalked.  Most victims are stalked by someone they know. This can include former intimate partners, someone recognizable from an outer social circle, friends, classmates, even current intimate partners. Some common behaviors of stalking may include, but are not limited to:  

• Following you  

• Showing up to your home, workplace, or current location with no prior communication  

• Monitoring online activity  

• Creating fake accounts after being blocked or removed   

• Asking those closest to you for information   

• Initiating unwanted contact after boundaries have been set   

• Sending unwanted gifts  

  

If you have questions or concerns about any of these behaviors, or those not on this list, contact a CARE advocate to gain support.   

 

How to get Involved:  

• Request a “Boiler Up & Intervene” Workshop focused on stalking prevention.   

• Host a “Stalking & Sexual Exploitation” Toolkit Discussion to learn safety tips and ways to support survivors.   

• Check out calendar of events for tabling times and locations, stop by to learn more.