Stalking: Still a Problem For Women and LGBTQ People

There have been much research published about stalking, non-consensual communication, physical proximity, and how it threatens people, especially women and the LGBTQ community. 

Being stalked can make a person feel unsafe; it can affect their well being and to trust others; they can also feel fear of being harmed or their loved ones. According to a study of the National Library of Medicine, stalking victimization is associated with increased PTSA symptoms. The more types of violence experienced, the more PTSD symptoms the person suffers. 

Experts say progress has been made in recent years to make more technologically-savvy safety plans with survivors and to understand cyberstalking, as well as links to domestic violence and the harms beyond physical assault. But survivors are still struggling, and researchers are tasked with filling major information gaps to understand what they’re going through—and to hopefully get them help. According to The 19th news. 

According to CDC Data from The National Intimate Partner and Sexual Violence Survey, nearly one in three women and one in six men in the United States reported stalking victimization at some point in their lifetime, during which they felt fearful, threatened, or concerned for their safety of  or others. 

Experts say that there is more research to be done within the LGBTQ people. The CDC also found that bisexual women had significantly higher lifetime prevalence of rape, physical violence, and/or stalking by an intimate partner when compared to both lesbian and heterosexual women. 

The research also found that one in three bisexual women and one in six heterosexual women have experienced stalking victimization at some point during their lifetime. 

Katie Edwards, associate professor of counseling psychology at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, told The 19th that being stalked as an LGBTQ person represents an additional barrier to accessing help and resources. On top of victim-blaming that many survivors deal with, an LGBTQ person may also be exposed to homophobia or transphobia while reporting the crime. 

Even though there is not an exact guide to not get stalk, the person can let the stalker know that they are unwelcome, blocking them on the phone and social media, change the phone number and changing daily routines can prevent harm, but if the person is receiving deadly threats or any type of harm they should go to the police.