January is National Stalking Awareness Month, and in observance the Women’s Center sponsored the workshop Students & Stalking: Know It. Name It. Stop It. at 7 p.m. on Tuesday. The hour-long seminar at Norris educated students about the incidence of stalking on college campuses.
Director of the Stalking Resource Center Michelle Garcia led the workshop. Garcia characterized stalking as a targeted pattern of behavior that induces fear in a reasonable person.
“We’re all afraid of different things,” Garcia said. “Fear is very subjective, and sometimes something as simple as a look can be fear-inducing.”
According to Garcia, rates of stalking, dating violence and sexual assault are higher on college campuses than in the general population. This is due to the higher risk of victimization associated with collegiate environments. Factors such as living alone, relationships, and availability of alcohol all facilitate stalking.
Reasons for stalking vary. Some struggle with obsession, rejection, or issues of power and control. In many instances, stalkers are current or ex- significant others. Some stalkers are simply seeking affection.
“I would say most offenders don’t know what they’re doing is wrong,” Garcia said.
Garcia’s presentation featured audience involvement, a slideshow, and several short videos. The workshop placed particular emphasis on the growing role of technology in stalking cases. For example, stalkers can place software on a victim’s cell phone to monitor calls and texts, listen to the victim’s environment, and even track the victim using GPS.
“I thought it was really scary,” said Maura Ross, Weinberg senior and co-president of College Feminists. “I learned a lot of things that really scared me about how much information is readily available, and how so much goes unreported.”
In addition to technology, pop culture and the commercialization of stalking contribute to the distortion of appropriate behavior. Garcia asked audience members to consider the phrase “Facebook stalking” and its greater implications.
Awareness, risk reduction, and prevention were all recommended methods of combating stalking.
“All of us have the opportunity to intervene,” Garcia said. “Bystander intervention will make a difference on your campus, and each of you has the opportunity.”