| Stalker and Stalking | Gifted Magazine

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One morning I was walking to college and it felt like I was being followed. I looked around but couldn’t find anything unusual. My university was in an isolated area with only a few shops here and there. The area is notorious for its bad reputation, but it has excellent colleges.
I was getting closer to the university, I thought they were following me again, but I rejected the idea and started walking fast, I was about to enter the university when a man came and rode a bike in front of me and blocked the road, I tried to pass but he stopped saying that he wanted to talk to me and expressed his so-called liking for me. It was nothing unusual because in college these things are normal but coming from a stranger scared me because I had never seen him before, gathering my courage I denied him as I didn’t want to stretch the conversation and quickly ran inside the college.
After a few days, my friend and I received negative threats messages from him, but what surprised me was the message regarding my family.

He told me all about my family and knew all the members of my family, he also knew all the spiritual and marital affairs in my house. He threatened me to give him my number and agree to be his girlfriend or he will do something wrong and make a scene in front of my family. I was very scared but I decided to tell my family, but being born in a typical Indian family my mother and sister directly blamed me for being too friendly with others and for using social media but thanks to my star my father took things into his hands and handled the situation.

Stalking is a form of gender-based harassment and violence that can be inflicted on anyone. Studies show that most stalkers are known by their victims. Perpetrators usually intimidate and humiliate the victim to create fear in their homes and workplaces and harass them with threatening words and sex. Sometimes they go overboard by calling parents, colleagues, and friends to humiliate them.
Usually, the escalation in stalking can cause deadly consequences, perpetrators often keep track of victims daily life and their day-to-day routines like where they live, where they work, whom they meet when they leave their house and their workplaces, etc. In the era of social media where these platforms help people to connect with their loved ones, it has become a dangerous weapon, which can be easily misused to violate the privacy of victims and cause physical, psychological, and social harm.

As per the statistics records of stalking in India, every 55 minutes, a stalking case is reported, but most cases remain under-reported as they are not considered criminal enough.
According to a recent report released by the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB), there is an exponential rise in stalking cases in India. A total of 9,285 cases of stalking were reported in 2021 which means 1 case every hour and 25 cases in a day.
Here is the Worldwide statistics regarding Stalking:
According to the Australian Institute of Health & Welfare, 68% of women are stalked by someone they already know, like their ex-partner or acquaintances, and have experienced loitering. 61% have experienced emergency calls. 44% have been tracked and discovered.

Cyber stalking is the most common, and according to SafeHome.org, cyber stalking is more common than traditional stalking, with 80% of victims online and 67% of victims in person.
Stalking is the most common crime by stalkers according to stalkawareness.org 2 out of 3 stalkers stalk their victims at least once a week, and many do it every day.

According to a recent study, 69 percent of people have experienced heart problems. Survivors of stalking reported that they suffered severe depression, anxiety, and insomnia. They are forced to leave jobs due to their bad mental health and some are even forced to move to new places or cities to get rid of perpetrators.
They become traumatized for years and find it hard to go back to their normal life, by now fear has made a place in their mind and to keep their sanity they feel a keen urge inside them to keep looking over their shoulders, change their daily routes, and delete their social media accounts, they were forced to keep their identity low and refrain from participating in any social activities. Victims of stalking often found themselves confused, frustrated, hopeless, anxious, on edge, and hyper vigilant. They develop severe nightmares and have flashbacks, disturbing thoughts, feelings, and memories, they feel vulnerable and unsafe in the presence of strangers and develop many trust issues. However, even after the rising rate of stalking victims only few victims gather enough courage to report against it , as per the sources only one in three people chose to file a report against the stalker.

There are some important measures we should follow If we ever feel like being followed or stalked :

Trust your instincts. If something feels off, take it seriously. Never ignore your instincts and take some instant action like calling somebody trustworthy.
Stay calm and try to get to a safe public place with other people around.
Tell someone you trust about what’s happening. Let friends and family know where you are.
Document everything. Keep a record of incidents, including dates, times, and locations.
Vary your routines. Take different routes to work or school, and change up your schedule if possible.
Boost your security. Lock your doors and windows, and consider adding security cameras or alarms.
Be careful on social media. Limit what you share publicly and check your privacy settings.
Learn some basic self-defense moves. It can help you feel more confident and prepared.
Contact the police if you feel threatened. They can help and give you advice on what to do next.
Consider getting a restraining order if you know who’s stalking you.

Conclusion
Remember, your safety is the top priority. Don’t hesitate to reach out for help if you need it. There are also support groups and hotlines available if you want to talk to someone about what you’re going through.

WRITTEN BY

VIDUSHI GUPTA