National Stalking Awareness Week: Confronting a Widespread Crisis
Stalking silently plagues countless individuals across the United Kingdom. As we observe National Stalking Awareness Week, it's crucial to confront the staggering reality: up to 700,000 women annually fall victim to stalking in the UK. According to stats, 80% of all stalking survivors are female.
Despite the alarming frequency of stalking incidents, only a mere 6% of reported cases in England & Wales result in charges. Suzy Lamplugh Trust reported in 2022 only 15% of the respondents who reported to police were referred to a stalking advocate, and a 2023 study indicates only 1.7% of reports ended in the stalker being convicted.
It’s important to note that only a fraction of victims actually report the crime, as victims often fear retaliation or escalation of the stalking behaviour if they involve law enforcement, which can lead them to suffer in silence rather than seek help.
These figures highlight the pressing need for increased awareness and better resources to tackle gender-based violence. They also cast doubt on the effectiveness of law enforcement in protecting victims.
One of the most alarming trends contributing to the rise of stalking is cyberstalking (stalking via online platforms, technology and devices). Cyberstalking, along with online harassment, now accounts for over 30% of all cybercrime cases reported at The Cyber Helpline. The majority of reports of cyberstalking we see at our organisation come from age groups within 18-39, with females being 3 to 4 times more likely to be stalked. In most cases, the perpetrators are ex-partners.
The Suzy Lamplugh Trust’s data underscores the pervasiveness of this issue: they recently carried out an online pilot survey with young people aged 16-24, which found that 77% of respondents to the survey had experienced at least one repeated harmful behaviour consistent with stalking, with this proportion rising to 87% among respondents who identified their gender as female, non-binary or other.
Online behaviours were found to be particularly common with as many as 84% of respondents who had experienced behaviours consistent with stalking experiencing online behaviours in comparison with 70% who experienced in-person behaviours.
It's evident that the internet provides stalkers with a convenient and often anonymous means to harass and intimidate their victims.
When it comes to its effect, our data reveals that over 70% of cybercrime victims report a 'very high' impact on their mental health and day-to-day lives. Moreover, a staggering 85% of cyberstalking victims seeking support from The Cyber Helpline express feeling less physically safe, with their lives and careers hanging in the balance.
Quotes from victims offer a glimpse into the profound suffering inflicted by stalking:
“I haven’t slept properly for weeks and due to medical conditions I feel totally exhausted, I’m scared and worried constantly and feel like he’s going to be coming after me constantly.”
“I’m constantly tired and physically don’t have the energy to do anything, it’s causing me to have more seizures, I’m constantly feeling uncomfortable with normal situations like shopping or going out, my anxiety is really bad at the moment. I’m just struggling to cope with all the stress.”
“It has caused stress and anxiety and the breakdown of relationships.”
National Stalking Awareness Week serves as a time platform to amplify the voices of survivors, raise public awareness, and advocate for stronger measures to combat stalking in all its forms.
At the heart of our operation at The Cyber Helpline is our mission to provide empathetic support to victims of cyberstalking and online harassment. With a dedicated team of 150 volunteers, we offer confidential assistance, practical guidance, and support to individuals navigating the complex and often distressing aftermath of cyberstalking incidents.
Our cybersecurity experts work tirelessly to empower victims with the knowledge and tools needed to protect themselves online effectively. By seamlessly blending empathetic support with proactive cybersecurity measures, we aim to offer victims comprehensive assistance, ensuring they can face the digital world with confidence and security.
How we operate cyberstalking cases:
Safety First: Victims are ensured physical and emotional safety, with assessments conducted to determine if police involvement is necessary or the actions they have taken to date if the crime has already been reported to them. Referrals to other organisations for additional support are provided as needed. If the service user is already engaged with other agencies or law enforcement have an active investigation, we offer to contact them to ensure an optimal multi-agency approach.
Understand the Threat: The Cyber Helpline works to identify the stalker's identity, approach, IT capability, access, resources, and motivation. We utilise DASH risk assessment questions to gauge the level of risk and understand how future actions could impact the perpetrators behaviour.
Address Immediate Threats: Urgent safety, security, and privacy issues are prioritised, considering both short-term and long-term implications.
Assess Online Footprint: Victims are guided to examine their online presence, including devices, accounts, smart home devices, and data, to understand what makes up their online footprint and where evidence could be and where the perpetrator may be utilising technology to support their stalking behaviours.
What’s Important: The Cyber Helpline ensures to understand what is important to the service user. This can be a number of different things depending on the victim’s priorities, including the confidentiality of certain information, keeping accounts and devices secure or ensuring information cannot be altered or removed.
Find and Preserve Evidence: Potential evidence is identified across devices, applications, online accounts, providers, and backups. Victims are guided to securely preserve evidence for sharing with trusted experts or law enforcement.
Secure Core Environment: Victims are assisted in securing essential aspects of their online footprint, such as home WiFi, smartphones, laptops, email, banking, messaging apps, and smart home devices. Implementing security measures and adopting good security practices is paramount.
Secure Wider Environment: Victims are encouraged to review and secure the remaining aspects of their online presence, with suggestions to remove unnecessary accounts or devices while considering leaving open channels of communication with the stalker for monitoring and safety purposes.
Monitor and Course Correct: Victims are empowered to stay vigilant for any security breaches or attempts at communication from the stalker, logging incidents, prioritising responses, and maintaining awareness of suspicious activity.
Stay Resilient: Throughout the process, victims are encouraged to remain committed, seek emotional support, and not lose faith. Whilst knowing that the stalker may surface, the service user should have the confidence that their security and privacy is optimised, reducing the risk and impact.
By leveraging our expertise in cybersecurity and victim advocacy, we empower survivors to regain control of their digital lives and reclaim their sense of safety and security.
If you're moved to lend your support to victims of cyberstalking this National Stalking Awareness Week, please consider making a donation today.
Every contribution helps provide crucial resources, assistance, and advocacy to those navigating the complexities of cyberstalking, offering hope and empowerment in the face of adversity.
Your generosity can make a tangible difference in the lives of those affected.