STALKING AWARENESS: JANUARY 27 STALKING WORKSHOP

January 26, 2022News0

January is Stalking Awareness Month

Fellow Saints, January 2022 marks the 18th National Stalking Awareness Month (NSAM), an annual call to action to recognize and respond to this traumatic and often unreported crime. According to the Stalking Resource Center of the National Center for Victims of Crime, college students age 18-24 are more likely to be stalked than those outside academia.

Stalking impacts more than 1 in 6 women and 1 in 17 men in the United States and yet – despite its prevalence and impacts – many victims, families, service providers, criminal justice professionals, and members of the general public underestimate its danger and urgency. Most college students do not recognize certain behaviors as stalking, due to normalization of these behaviors in the media. Such harassment can have significant adverse effects on the victim’s academic performance, as well as on their physical or mental health. Survivors often suffer anxiety, social dysfunction, and severe depression as a result of their victimization, and many lose time from work and/or relocate.

No one should have their educational opportunity impacted by stalking, and MHCC has resources to help if you or someone you know is being harassed.

Stalking is defined as a pattern of behavior directed at a specific person that causes fear or emotional distress. Stalkers often follow, monitor, and wait for their victims, as well as leave them unwanted gifts, spread rumors about them, and repeatedly call, text, and message them. The majority of stalking victims experience both in-person and technology-facilitated stalking (cyber stalking). And the most common types of technology-facilitated abuse—harassment, and surveillance – have increased during the COVID-19 pandemic.

One of the difficulties of recognizing and responding to stalking is that each individual act may not be a problem or a crime on its own, but each act becomes criminal when part of that pattern of behavior that comprises stalking. Stalking is a crime in federal jurisdictions, all 50 states, the District of Columbia, U.S. territories, tribal lands, and the military justice system.

NSAM’s theme of “Know It. Name It. Stop It.” is a call to action for everyone in our campus community and across the country to raise awareness and recognize stalking for what it is: a crime. The vast majority of victims tell friends or family about their situation first, and how we respond influences whether they seek further help or not.

As Saints, we take fundamental responsibility for our community and are accountable for our actions. We can build a thriving community together by treating each other with respect, and fostering healthy relationships where everyone feels safe and supported.

We all have a role to play in identifying stalking, intervening when necessary, and supporting victims and survivors. If you or someone you know is being stalked or harassed, it’s not your fault – don’t blame yourself. Trust your instincts and reach out for help.

On Thursday, Jan. 27, the MHCC Public Safety Department is partnering with the Title IX Team, and the Associated Student Government to offer: “Stalking: Know it, Name it, Stop It”, a one-hour informative workshop in recognition of Stalking Awareness Month.

The workshop runs from 12 noon to 1 p.m.

Find the link to the presentation in the Student Newsletter along with helpful campus resources below. Contact Cherilyn Nederhiser at [email protected] for an invite to the workshop.

This one-hour workshop on stalking will discuss:

· Stalking Awareness – recognizing stalking behaviors

· Prevention Strategies

· What to do if you or someone you know is being stalked

· Cyber Stalking

· How to get help

Additional Resources:

· Traci Simmons (she/her/hers)

MHCC Associate Vice President of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion [email protected]

· MHCC Career Planning and Counseling Center (CPCC): [email protected]

· Stalking Awareness Definitions

· Stalking Awareness Fact Sheet