Stalking victims urged to tell friends, authorities

Published 12:00 am Wednesday, January 26, 2000

ERIK SANZENBACH / L’Observateur / January 26, 2000

LAPLACE – Over 200,000 women are being stalked in the United States, according to a report released recently by the security-based consulting firm The Threat Assessment Group.

Stalking – the very word has a menacing sound. It is one of the mostfrightening ordeals a woman can experience. Even more frightening, stalkingis becoming an increasingly common crime in this country.

“Although a majority of stalking cases do not end in violence, they do create a lot of mental anguish for the victim,” said St. John the Baptist ParishSheriff Wayne Jones, who urges extreme caution if you or someone you know is being stalked.

Statistics indicate that while a few cases of female stalkers have been reported, (the woman who stalked David Letterman being the most famous), the majority of stalkers are male.

Despite a commonly-held view, most stalkers are perfectly sane. Stalkersare usually acquainted with the victim and are often former dates, ex- boyfriends or spouses. Of course, there are stalkers who do have mentaldisabilities.

The Threat Assessment Group says the very act of stalking instills a sense of power in the stalker and control and intimidation over the victim, which is similar to the crime of rape.

One of the biggest problems with catching stalkers is getting the victims to report the crime. Many women feel embarrassed to report a stalker to theauthorities.

“Many victims believe they may be partially at fault,” explained Jones, “because in many cases, the stalker is someone the victim knows.”The following are warning signs of a potential stalker: Overly attentive behavior.

Expressing anger when a date is declined.

Placing heavy emphasis on casual commitments.

Making future plans early in the relationship-far too prematurely.

Constantly inquiring about your whereabouts and activities.

Extreme jealousy.

Isolation from your friends and family.

If you are a victim of stalking, Jones suggests you: Educate yourself on anti-stalking statutes.

Formally document all acts of harassment, including letters, phone calls, etc.

Report all incidents to the authorities.

Ask a friend to walk you to your car and to see that you get into your home safely.

Do not be embarrassed – talk to a friend and make them aware of what is going on.

If the stalker’s identity is known, have the police inform his employer about the situation. The chances of a stalker halting stalking activities are greaterif he knows his behavior is known and he is being observed.

Request that a tracing device be placed on your phone.

Instead of changing your phone number, have a second phone line installed and let the answering machine take all the calls that come in on the original line.

To report a stalking incident, Jones urges people to call the Sheriff’s Office at 652-9513.

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