The Effect of Stalking on Victims

What is the effect of stalking on victims?

Stalking can have a range of short and long-term effects on the victim.

Statistics show that:

• Most stalking victims reported that they were at a loss about what they could do to end their victimization. Most of the tactics they tried seemed to make matters worse.
• 34% of victims still suffer with psychiatric-related problems one year after stalking has ended
• Nearly 38% of stalking victims reported losing time from school or work as a result of being stalked. Some indicated that they had changed jobs or transferred to another school to escape the always-present terror they experienced
• 63% of stalking victims reported conflict in their friendships as a result of being stalked. The conflict was most often created by victims' unwillingness to attend social events where their stalker might be present and friend's frustration because they believed the victim was not doing enough to deter their stalker
• Of those victims currently in romantic relationships, 71 % indicate that being stalked created conflict in their romantic relationships, most often reporting that their current romantic partner was jealous of or intimidated by the stalker
• 93% of stalking victims indicate that being stalked had a significant negative impact on their personal relationships
• Many of the victims reported living in perpetual fear that something might push their stalker over the edge and lead him to physically assault, sexually assault, or even murder them
• In addition, stalking can effect work and school performance in several ways. The behaviors often interfere directly with attendance or productivity and result in the workplace or school becoming an unsafe location, or the victim's feeling they are unsafe
• Further, stalking may indirectly affect a person's ability to work due to the many adverse emotional consequences suffered such as headaches, poor concentration, depression, anxiety, guilt, shame, helplessness, humiliation, gastrointestinal disorders, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), etc.
• Home will also feel unsafe, and the victim's ability to function and complete daily tasks will usually be affected.

Sources:

• www.homepage.psy.utexas.edu
• www.sexualharassmentsupport.org  

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