Stalking Awareness Week: Recognising the Signs, Supporting Survivors, and Creating Safer Spaces

Stalking Awareness Week: Recognising the Signs, Supporting Survivors, and Creating Safer Spaces

Each year, Stalking Awareness Week shines a spotlight on a serious crime that affects millions but is too often misunderstood or minimised. Spearheaded by organisations like the Suzy Lamplugh Trust, this week of awareness aims to inform, educate, and support – empowering individuals, workplaces, and communities to better recognise stalking behaviours and take action to protect those affected.

What is Stalking?

Stalking is defined as a pattern of repeated, unwanted behaviour that causes a person to feel harassed, threatened, or afraid. Unlike one-off incidents of nuisance behaviour, stalking is persistent and insidious. It may begin with what seems like harmless contact, but over time can escalate into obsessive and frightening conduct.

Stalking can include:

  • Repeated calls, texts, emails or messages on social media
  • Following or spying on someone
  • Showing up uninvited at someone’s home, work or public places
  • Sending unwanted gifts
  • Monitoring a person’s online activity
  • Contacting friends, family, or colleagues to gather information

In the UK, it’s estimated that 1 in 5 women and 1 in 10 men will experience stalking in their lifetime. Yet despite its prevalence, many people don’t realise what they’re experiencing is stalking – often dismissing it as overreaction or confusion.

The FOUR Warning Signs

An easy way to identify stalking behaviours is using the FOUR acronym:

  • Fixated
  • Obsessive
  • Unwanted
  • Repeated

These signs can help both victims and bystanders recognise when something isn’t right. If someone’s behaviour consistently invades your boundaries and makes you feel afraid, unsafe or uncomfortable, it is not acceptable – and it could be stalking.

The Psychological Toll

Stalking can have a devastating impact on mental health. Victims often report experiencing anxiety, hypervigilance, sleep problems, PTSD, and depression. Every day activities become loaded with fear – walking home, answering the phone, or opening an email can trigger panic. It’s not just about physical safety; it’s about reclaiming peace of mind.

What makes stalking especially harmful is the constant feeling of being watched or pursued, something that chips away at a person’s confidence and ability to function freely in their daily life.

Stalking in the Workplace

Stalking doesn’t always stay in the personal realm – it frequently crosses over into the professional world. Victims may be targeted at their place of work, receive harassing messages during working hours, or be followed during their commute. This poses not only personal risks but also workplace safety concerns.

For those in lone working roles, such as housing officers, care workers, estate agents, or maintenance staff, the feeling of isolation can heighten the sense of vulnerability. While employers can’t prevent stalking altogether, they can put safeguarding practices in place to help staff feel more secure.

Lone worker safety solutions – such as discreet personal alarms, GPS tracking, welfare check-in systems, and emergency alerts – can help provide an additional layer of reassurance. These tools are especially helpful for those who spend time working alone or in unpredictable environments, allowing them to signal for help quickly and discreetly if something feels off.

More than just a product, these measures send a message: your safety matters.

What Can You Do?

Stalking Awareness Week encourages us all to take responsibility in spotting the signs, supporting victims, and speaking up. Here’s how you can help:

  • Believe and listen to those who disclose stalking – validate their experiences without judgement.
  • Encourage reporting. Whether it’s to the police, a manager, or a support service, taking that first step can be crucial.
  • Share resources on social media or in your workplace – raising awareness helps others know they’re not alone.
  • Review your workplace safety measures to ensure there are policies and support mechanisms for anyone at risk.
  • Seek support if you need it – you are never to blame for someone else’s behaviour, and help is always available.

Building a Culture of Safety

At its core, Stalking Awareness Week is about building safer, more compassionate communities. By speaking out, raising awareness, and supporting those affected, we can create environments – both personally and professionally – where stalking is recognised for what it is: a crime that should never be ignored.

At First2HelpYou, we believe safety should never be an afterthought. While our focus is on helping lone workers feel more secure, our broader mission aligns with this week’s message: no one should feel unsafe going about their daily life.

Let this week be a reminder to check in, speak up and support those around you. Together, we can make a difference.

 

Need support?
The National Stalking Helpline (0808 802 0300) offers free, confidential advice.
For more resources and training, visit Suzy Lamplugh Trust