"Report stalking concerns early" says Wiltshire charity
FearFree wants people with worries about being stalked to speak out early to prevent escalation
A charity supporting people affected by stalking in Wiltshire says it is vital that concerns are reported early.
This week marks 40 years since the disappearance of estate agent, Suzy Lamplugh, with police suspecting she was targeted by a stalker before she went missing.
FearFree is warning that four decades on from Suzy vanishing, stalking has become more dangerous because of modern technology.
Service Manager, Faye Roebuck, said it has "fundamentally changed the landscape of stalking", even if the psychology behind it hasn't.
"Technology that was designed for convenience can unfortunately also be used and exploited to monitor and intimidate and harass victims," she said.
Stalking is considered behaviour that is Fixated, Obsessive, Unwanted, and Repetitive - meaning it is often referred to using the FOUR acronym.
Faye said the charity is seeing "hybrid stalking" more frequently, which is where online and offline behaviours are being used together.
"Someone might repeatedly message a victim online, monitor their social media activity, track their location using technology, and then unexpectedly appear in places where they know the victim is going to be," she explained.
There are also concerns that GPS trackers are being used to stalk people, alongside home smart devices and shared cloud accounts, creating a feeling in people affected by stalking that they are trapped and cant escape.
"Years ago, someone might feel safer at home when they lock that door. But today, the unwanted behaviour can follow them actually into their homes. So I think the psychological impact on a victim is much more impactful throughout their day-to-day life."
How stalking can be misrepresented
One of the main barriers to stalking being identified early is how social narratives can portray perstience as romance, Faye told us.
She said it is often shown in films and tv shows that people calling repeatedly, or showing up unexpectedly and refusing to take no for an answer, is presented as determination or affection.
"In reality, healthy relationships do respect boundaries. So that's definitely a toxic narrative that's continuously pushed throughout media," Faye said.
She added that there is a misconception that stalking must include a threat or harm to be taken seriously.
"It's the pattern and impact that matter, not whether individual behaviours appear harmless on the surface.
"Victims would often say things like, maybe I'm overreacting, or maybe they're just trying to get my attention. But the reality is that stalking can have a significant psychological impact."
She added that technology is allowing controlling and intrusive behaviours to be mistaken for care and affection.
"We're seeing some really concerning normalisation around tracking and monitoring. So many younger people have grown up with that location sharing and constant connectivity."
We're encouraged to call-out behaviours that are considered fixated, obsessive, unwanted or repetitive within society, with Faye insistent that people who experience stalking should never feel responsible for managing someone else's behaviours.
She said anyone who thinks they might be experiencing stalking should keep a record of what happens, take screenshots of messages, record dates times and locations and show the pattern of what is happening.
Anyone with concerns is urged to report it to police or a support service as soon as possible.
If you’re affected by issues raised in this article, there is help available from your local domestic abuse service at https://www.fearfree.org.uk/.
· The National Domestic Abuse Helpline is 0808 2000 247 (run by Refuge)
· The Men’s Advice Line, for male domestic abuse survivors is 0808 801 0327 (run by Respect)
· The National LGBT+ Domestic Abuse Helpline is 0800 999 5428 (run by Galop)
If you are in immediate danger always call 999.
The Suzy Lamplugh Trust runs the national stalking helping, We can phone them on 0808 802 0300 or visit their website: https://www.suzylamplugh.org/Pages/Category/national-stalking-helpline