According to National Center on Victims of Crime, more than 1.4 million women are stalked every year in the United States. Women in the United States are four times more likely to be stalked than raped. Thirteen percent of college women admit to being stalked since their school year began and 83 percent of victims report knowing their stalker. Stalking is not just a problem for women; more than 300,000 men are stalked annually in the United States.

Stalking is any obsessive behavior that one person displays toward another. Therefore, a person can be stalked by receiving harassing phone calls, having someone frequently show up uninvited, receiving irksome text messages and even being bothered on Facebook. Three in 10 women report suffering from emotional or physical injuries from stalking behavior.

The Northeastern Campus Center on Violence Against Women is a student-led program that is dedicated to educating the people on campus about the prevention and response to issues like stalking, dating violence and sexual assault. If you or anyone you know have questions about stalking or any other topics related to violence against women, stop by our office at 7 Nightingale or send us an e-mail at [email protected].

– Kim Brown is a middler communication studies major and member of the Northeastern Campus Center on Violence Against Women.