With Stalking Awareness Month coming to a close, there are places on campus where you can seek help or find out more information.
As we come to the end of January, which is National Stalking Awareness Month, I wanted to take some time to alert students to changes in Ohio University’s policy regarding stalking.
The definition of stalking varies from state to state, but the state of Ohio defines stalking as “a pattern of conduct that the stalker knows will cause another person mental distress or cause that person to believe that the stalker will cause physical harm to her or him.” This “pattern of conduct” includes, but is not limited to, things like vandalizing property, sending threatening phone calls, text messages, emails, etc., verbally threatening someone, tracking someone’s online activities and following someone home. In Ohio, stalking is a first-degree misdemeanor.
Stalking can have an intense impact on the victim. Victims may feel like they’re not safe. They can feel isolated or monitored; they can be afraid to go home or to leave home. One in eight stalking victims will miss work because of stalking. One in seven will move away.
Although stalking may seem like a distant issue to many college students, it happens here as well. The National Center for Victims of Crime, which sponsors Stalking Awareness Month, estimates that of the 6.6 million people who are stalked annually in the United States, more than half of female victims and more than a third of male victims were stalked before the age of 25.
Many organizations, including the National Center for Victims of Crime and the National Center for Domestic and Sexual Violence and many others, offer resources for supporting victims of stalking, such as guidelines for creating a safety plan.
Ohio University also offers support. If you think you might be being stalked, contact the Survivor Advocacy Program at its 24/7 crisis hotline at 740-597-7223 or at survivor.advocacy@ohio.edu. You can also visit its website at www.ohio.edu/survivor or visit its office in the basement of the McKee House on University Terrace, across the street from Ellis Hall. The people at the Survivor Advocacy Program can provide advice and help you connect with resources in Athens.
Stalking is a Code A Offense at Ohio University. You can find more information about the university’s sexual misconduct policies online. The Survivor Advocacy Program can also help you work with the Office for Community Standards and the Office for Institutional Equity to make sure your safety and rights as a student are being protected.
Know that if you experience stalking, you are not alone. By listening to victims of stalking, trusting their descriptions of their experiences and helping them connect with resources, people at Ohio University can create a community where we support and stand up for victims of stalking.
Madison Koenig is a senior studying english literature at Ohio University and the Women’s Affairs Commissioner for Student Senate.
