Stalking Awareness Week, 21st – 25th April 2025
After watching Panorama, My Online Stalker’, it quickly dawned on me that Stalking Awareness Week was fast approaching and the ongoing need for education and support around abuse, stalking and harassment.
Click on the image below to watch.
Trigger Warning: This video will discuss personal experiences of stalking. This may be triggering to viewers with similar experiences.
With 1 in 5 women and 1 in 10 men experiencing stalking at some point in their lives, and with stalking offences significantly rising, the Protection from Stalking Act came into force in 2010. The act addressed the issue of more formal reporting and made stalking specifically a criminal offence, offering greater protection to victims and ensuring perpetrators could be more effectively prosecuted.
Whilst watching the documentary, it was evident the profound psychological impact stalking has on victims and the importance of awareness and voicing the issue.
Victims of stalking report higher rates of anxiety, depression, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), with nearly 50% of victims experiencing severe emotional distress and fear. Victims often feel unsafe in their own homes, experience difficulty at work and have trouble engaging in social activities.
Like childhood sexual abuse, the trauma of being stalked can affect victims’ long-term mental and physical well-being, and with significant stalking going on underreported, this can be life debilitating.
While stalking is a criminal offence in Scotland, the legal process can be complex and difficult for both victims and authorities.
To help strengthen a stalking case, victims are advised to;
- Keep records of all interactions with the stalker, including text, emails and social media messages.
- Report the behaviour to the police as soon as possible and seek advice from legal experts or victim support organisations.
- Consider using technology to help track and document incidents of stalking.
- Seek a restraining or non-harassment order if they believe they are in immediate danger.
If someone you know is experiencing stalking, do not hesitate to contact local organisations below.
Raising awareness of stalking hopes to help reduce the fear of retaliation, shame and embarrassment, improve the lack of understanding and distinguish stalking from normal behaviour. In turn, this helps to keep people safe and put an end to this unacceptable behaviour.
For more information and support, please see the links below:
Victim Support Scotland Central Scotland & Fife | Victim Support Scotland
Women’s Aid Home – Fife Women’s Aid
National Stalking Helpline Campaigns | Action Against Stalking | Scotland
