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Effects of Stalking and Harassment

What is the impact of stalking on victims?

Individual responses may vary but commonly include:

• Fear: of what the stalker will do next, of leaving the house, of the dark, of the phone ringing.



• Anxiety: about the unknown consequences, the safety of family members or pets, what the future holds, whether the stalking will ever end, how other people will respond if they find out what's happening.



• Vulnerability: feeling totally exposed, never feeling safe, not knowing who to trust or where to turn for help.



• Nervousness: feeling anxious, fearful, jumpy, irritable, impatient, on edge, getting startled by small things.



• Depression: feeling despair, hopelessness, overwhelmed with emotion, tearful, angry.



• Hypervigilance: being continually alert to known and unknown dangers, taking elaborate safety measures against the perpetrator or any suspicious people, repeatedly re-checking locks and bolts on doors and windows.



• Stress: having difficulty concentrating, forgetting things, feeling generally distracted and worried.



• Stress-related physical symptoms: such as headaches and stomach aches.



• Eating problems: not feeling hungry, forgetting to eat, eating all the time.



• Flashbacks or intrusive memories: reliving frightening incidents, not being able to break away from disturbing thoughts, feelings, and memories.



• Sleeping problems: nightmares, interrupted sleep patterns, not being able to fall asleep, wanting to sleep all the time.



• Isolation: feeling disconnected from family or friends, feeling no one understands.



• Use of alcohol or drugs: to numb fear and anxiety triggered by stalking/harassment incidents, to induce calm and sleep.

Information taken from National Center for Victims of Crime.

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