Content Warning: This blog post discusses stalking and related forms of abuse, which may be difficult or triggering for some readers. Please take care of yourself while reading and step away if you need to.
If you or someone you know is experiencing stalking, domestic violence, or sexual assault, confidential support is available. CAPSA’s 24/7 hotline is available at (435) 753-2500. If you are outside our service area, you can call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-SAFE (7233) or chat with them at www.thehotline.org. You are not alone.
January Is Stalking Awareness Month: Understanding Stalking, Its Impact, and How to Support Survivors
January is Stalking Awareness Month, a time to raise awareness about a form of abuse that is often misunderstood, minimized, or overlooked. Stalking is not about unwanted attention or persistence. It is a serious pattern of behavior that causes fear, distress, and long-term harm.
At CAPSA, we know that stalking frequently overlaps with domestic violence, sexual assault, and coercive control. Recognizing stalking and responding with compassion is essential to survivor safety, effective prevention, and building communities where abuse is taken seriously.
What Is Stalking?
Stalking is a pattern of repeated behaviors directed at a specific person that causes fear or emotional distress. These behaviors can occur in person, online, or through technology, and they often escalate over time.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), nearly 1 in 3 women and 1 in 6 men in the United States experience stalking in their lifetime, and many are stalked by a current or former intimate partner.
Because stalking behaviors are often framed as concern, jealousy, love, or coincidence, survivors may not immediately recognize what they are experiencing. Others may minimize the behavior or dismiss it as harmless, which can delay support and increase risk.
Signs of Stalking to Look Out For
Stalking does not always look the same, but common warning signs include:
Repeated unwanted calls, texts, emails, or messages
Showing up uninvited at home, work, school, or social spaces
Following, watching, or monitoring someone’s movements
Using technology to track location, access accounts, or monitor activity
Sending unwanted gifts or letters after being asked to stop
Spreading rumors, sharing private information, or impersonating someone online
Threats, intimidation, or attempts to control daily activities
A key indicator of stalking is persistence. If behaviors continue after someone has asked for them to stop, or if they cause fear or distress, they are not harmless.
The Impact of Stalking on Survivors
Stalking can have profound and lasting effects on survivors’ mental, emotional, and physical well-being. Many survivors report feeling constantly on edge, hyperaware of their surroundings, and unable to relax or feel safe, even in their own homes.
Research shows that stalking is strongly linked to anxiety, depression, sleep disruption, and post-traumatic stress. Survivors may change routines, avoid public places, limit social connections, or miss work or school to reduce risk.
Even after stalking behaviors end, the trauma can linger. Fear does not simply disappear when contact stops.
There is no single “right” way to respond to stalking. Survivors make choices based on safety, survival, and available support. All of these responses are valid.
Why Stalking Awareness Matters
Stalking thrives in silence and misunderstanding. When communities lack awareness, survivors are more likely to be dismissed, blamed, or told their experience is not serious enough.
Awareness helps people recognize the warning signs earlier, respond with empathy instead of judgment, and challenge harmful beliefs about entitlement, control, and power in relationships. It also strengthens prevention efforts by addressing abuse before it escalates.
Stalking Awareness Month is an opportunity to change how we listen to survivors and how we show up for one another.
How CAPSA Supports Survivors of Stalking
CAPSA provides confidential, trauma-informed support to survivors of stalking, domestic violence, and sexual assault. Our advocates believe survivors, respect their choices, and understand that safety looks different for everyone.
Support may include emotional support, safety planning, help navigating resources, or simply having someone to talk to who understands. Survivors do not need to prove their experience or meet a certain threshold to deserve help.
CAPSA also prioritizes prevention through our Prevention and Education team, which works throughout the community to address the root causes of abuse and promote healthy, respectful relationships.
How You Can Help Prevent Stalking and Support Survivors
Everyone has a role to play in preventing stalking and supporting survivors:
Believe survivors when they share their experiences
Avoid minimizing fear or questioning their reactions
Learn the signs of stalking and share accurate information
Offer support without pressure or judgment
Encourage connection to local resources like CAPSA
Community support reduces isolation and saves lives.
Moving Forward This Stalking Awareness Month
Stalking is often quiet, persistent, and deeply harmful. January reminds us that abuse does not always look dramatic to be dangerous.
By increasing awareness, practicing compassion, and committing to prevention, we can create safer communities where survivors are supported and believed.
If you or someone you know is experiencing stalking or any form of abuse, CAPSA is here to help.
https://www.capsa.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/01-08-26-Stalking-Awareness-Blog-Header.jpg6281200Maddie Sotohttps://www.capsa.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/capsaLogo.pngMaddie Soto2026-01-08 10:00:462026-01-06 12:41:51Living Under Watch: The Reality of Stalking
Living Under Watch: The Reality of Stalking
Content Warning:
This blog post discusses stalking and related forms of abuse, which may be difficult or triggering for some readers. Please take care of yourself while reading and step away if you need to.
If you or someone you know is experiencing stalking, domestic violence, or sexual assault, confidential support is available. CAPSA’s 24/7 hotline is available at (435) 753-2500. If you are outside our service area, you can call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-SAFE (7233) or chat with them at www.thehotline.org. You are not alone.
January Is Stalking Awareness Month: Understanding Stalking, Its Impact, and How to Support Survivors
January is Stalking Awareness Month, a time to raise awareness about a form of abuse that is often misunderstood, minimized, or overlooked. Stalking is not about unwanted attention or persistence. It is a serious pattern of behavior that causes fear, distress, and long-term harm.
At CAPSA, we know that stalking frequently overlaps with domestic violence, sexual assault, and coercive control. Recognizing stalking and responding with compassion is essential to survivor safety, effective prevention, and building communities where abuse is taken seriously.
What Is Stalking?
Stalking is a pattern of repeated behaviors directed at a specific person that causes fear or emotional distress. These behaviors can occur in person, online, or through technology, and they often escalate over time.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), nearly 1 in 3 women and 1 in 6 men in the United States experience stalking in their lifetime, and many are stalked by a current or former intimate partner.
Because stalking behaviors are often framed as concern, jealousy, love, or coincidence, survivors may not immediately recognize what they are experiencing. Others may minimize the behavior or dismiss it as harmless, which can delay support and increase risk.
Signs of Stalking to Look Out For
Stalking does not always look the same, but common warning signs include:
A key indicator of stalking is persistence. If behaviors continue after someone has asked for them to stop, or if they cause fear or distress, they are not harmless.
The Impact of Stalking on Survivors
Stalking can have profound and lasting effects on survivors’ mental, emotional, and physical well-being. Many survivors report feeling constantly on edge, hyperaware of their surroundings, and unable to relax or feel safe, even in their own homes.
Research shows that stalking is strongly linked to anxiety, depression, sleep disruption, and post-traumatic stress. Survivors may change routines, avoid public places, limit social connections, or miss work or school to reduce risk.
Even after stalking behaviors end, the trauma can linger. Fear does not simply disappear when contact stops.
There is no single “right” way to respond to stalking. Survivors make choices based on safety, survival, and available support. All of these responses are valid.
Why Stalking Awareness Matters
Stalking thrives in silence and misunderstanding. When communities lack awareness, survivors are more likely to be dismissed, blamed, or told their experience is not serious enough.
Awareness helps people recognize the warning signs earlier, respond with empathy instead of judgment, and challenge harmful beliefs about entitlement, control, and power in relationships. It also strengthens prevention efforts by addressing abuse before it escalates.
Stalking Awareness Month is an opportunity to change how we listen to survivors and how we show up for one another.
How CAPSA Supports Survivors of Stalking
CAPSA provides confidential, trauma-informed support to survivors of stalking, domestic violence, and sexual assault. Our advocates believe survivors, respect their choices, and understand that safety looks different for everyone.
Support may include emotional support, safety planning, help navigating resources, or simply having someone to talk to who understands. Survivors do not need to prove their experience or meet a certain threshold to deserve help.
CAPSA also prioritizes prevention through our Prevention and Education team, which works throughout the community to address the root causes of abuse and promote healthy, respectful relationships.
Learn more or get help:
How You Can Help Prevent Stalking and Support Survivors
Everyone has a role to play in preventing stalking and supporting survivors:
Community support reduces isolation and saves lives.
Moving Forward This Stalking Awareness Month
Stalking is often quiet, persistent, and deeply harmful. January reminds us that abuse does not always look dramatic to be dangerous.
By increasing awareness, practicing compassion, and committing to prevention, we can create safer communities where survivors are supported and believed.
If you or someone you know is experiencing stalking or any form of abuse, CAPSA is here to help.
January Newsletter
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