The Impact of Stalking

Stalking is a serious offense that causes harm in many areas of a victim-survivor’s life. Not only does it have implications for one’s mental health, but it can cause physical, social, professional, and financial harm as well. Stalking can have a domino effect in the victim-survivors life. It is incredibly difficult to maintain one’s life uninterrupted when a stalker is trying to interrupt it. 

Mental Health

Stalking can greatly affect the victim-survivor’s mental health. Over 91% of stalking victim-survivors report some kind of negative mental health impact as a result of the stalking¹. 

In relation to their mental health, victim-survivors of stalking report:

• 83% report increased anxiety²
• 75% report feeling powerless²
• 55% report flashbacks and intrusive thoughts²
• 46% report fearing not knowing what will happen next³
• 29% report fearing it will never stop³
• 26% report depression⁴
• 24% report having suicidal thoughts²

When being stalked, victim-survivors are often on high-alert and may develop hypervigilance or hyperarousal. They may feel ashamed or embarrassed that they are being stalked. Stalking can have an effect on those around them as well, and they may feel guilty that their loved ones are also experiencing it. If their case isn’t being taken seriously, they can feel a sense of vulnerability and may suffer from self-esteem issues. Victim-survivors may believe that they did something to deserve the stalking or may wonder why they were chosen as the target, which can also affect their self-esteem. Some stalkers use tactics that are difficult to tie back to them, which can cause victim-survivors to question their grip on reality.

Considering that stalking victim-survivors often have to make changes in their lives as a result of the stalking, they may feel as though their life is out of their control. Additionally, changes they have to make may have a negative impact on their mental health, such as leaving a job they love or moving away from loved ones. 

Physical Health

While experiencing stalking, victim-survivors can experience physical health concerns. Stress and post-traumatic stress can manifest into physical ailments and put a toll on one’s body. For example, hypervigilance and anxiety can cause one’s body to tense up, resulting in muscle fatigue. The stress from the stalker can make it difficult to sleep and can result in weight fluctuations due to a decreased appetite or comfort eating. If they already have a health issue, the stalking can exacerbate those issues or distract the victim-survivor from focusing on that health concern. Some victim-survivors may not know how to cope with the stress and turn to substance misuse, which can cause physical harm as well.

In relation to their physical health, victim-survivors of stalking report:

• 74% report disrupted sleep²
• 55% report experiencing fatigue²
• 35% report stomach trouble⁶
• 31% report physical assaults⁶
• 14% report headaches⁴

Social

Maintaining a social life can be difficult for stalking victim-survivors. Being stalked can cause victim-survivors to isolate themselves from friends and family out of fear, shame, mental health issues, and difficulty trusting others. They may have trouble making new friends or entering new relationships, particularly when the stalker is a former intimate partner. Stalking can also cause tension in personal relationships.

Stalking can also have an impact on a victim-survivor’s virtual social life, as 70% of stalking behaviors reported involve email, text, or social media². They may need to change their phone number or email address to cut off communication. They may also need to set their social media profiles to private or delete them all together. Victim-survivors are also inclined to limit what they post or share about themselves on social media.

In relation to their social life, victim-survivors of stalking report:

• 68% report feelings of mistrust in other people⁷
• 44% report being more suspicious of others⁴
• 49% report reticence towards unknown people⁷
• 34% report social withdrawal⁷
• 32% report being afraid to enter a new relationship⁷
• 22% report having partnership problems as a result of the stalking⁷

Work and School

Stalking can have a major impact on someone’s career and their ability to continue their education. The mental toll that experiencing stalking can have on a victim-survivor can make it difficult to thrive at work or in school. Their performance may begin to deteriorate, which could even potentially cause them to get fired, lose a scholarship, or fail classes. They may take it upon themselves to quit their job or drop out of school as a result of their performance or due to safety concerns. Employing someone who is being stalked can also result in the employer feeling unsafe, which can result in fewer shifts or even being let go.

When the stalker knows where the victim-survivor works or goes to school, they may try to use that information as a way to attempt contact with them. They may frequent the area where they work or attend school or wait outside for them to leave, making the survivor feel unsafe. The fact that work and school are places the victim-survivor frequents on a regular basis, often on a fixed schedule, makes them particularly vulnerable places. Some stalkers may try contacting their place of work to harass them or they may try asking their coworkers when they will be working. As a result, victim-survivors may have to disclose to their employers or school officials that they are being stalked and advise them on what to do in response, which can cause them to feel embarrassed. 

Victim-survivors of stalking report various impacts on their employment and education, such as:

• 94% report making changes to their life and work patterns²
• 53% report leaving or changing their job²
• 17% report losing a job or job opportunities⁵
• 14% report taking sick leave in relation to the stalking⁴
• 14% report feeling unable to attend school²
• 12% report losing time from work³

Finances

Stalking can have a significant impact on the victim-survivor’s finances. When stalking interrupts a victim-survivor’s job performance, they may lose their job, lose out on a promotion, lose workdays, and struggle overall to make career advancements, all of which have a negative effect on their finances. 

Out of all stalking victim-survivors, 14% report having to relocate due to the stalking³. As a result, they may have to sell their home or belongings, break a lease, or pay moving expenses such as movers and a security deposit. They may end up in a living situation that costs more, such as moving out of a dorm and into an off-campus apartment or moving into a gated community. If they have a family, the move disrupts their lives as well. Moving can result in a victim-survivor having to switch jobs or transfer universities. If they have a family or partner, their lives are also upended, which can cause unwarranted feelings of guilt for the victim-survivor. If they choose to stay at their current job or university, they may incur additional costs due to travel. 

Victim-survivors may also have to make purchases or payments in relation to the stalking. If they pursue legal action, they may need to pay to file paperwork, such as a restraining order, and they may need to hire a lawyer. They may need to pay for damage that the stalker has caused to their home or personal belongings. Some victim-survivors invest in heightened security, such as cameras or additional locks. As a result of the stalking, they may begin seeing a therapist or psychiatrist, and may even be prescribed medication, all of which they often have to pay for. If the stalker physically harms them, they can incur medical bills and potentially even medical debt.

All Survivors Deserve Support

The legal processes surrounding stalking can make it difficult for law enforcement to intervene, and victim-survivors are often not taken seriously. Despite the fact that stalking can have a significant impact on victim-survivors which parallel those of sexual, domestic, and intimate partner violence, there are fewer resources specifically dedicated to stalking. The impact of stalking is the same regardless of whether or not the stalker is a current or former intimate partner. Depending on the individual organization, sometimes resources dedicated to sexual, domestic, and/or intimate partner violence will also provide services to stalking victim-survivors.

Sources

1. Storey, J. E., Pina, A., & Williams, C. S. (2023). The Impact of Stalking and Its Predictors: Characterizing the Needs of Stalking Victims. Journal of interpersonal violence, 38(21-22), 11569–11594. https://doi.org/10.1177/08862605231185303
2. ScotCen Social Research. (2019). Scottish Crime and Justice Survey, 2017-2018. [data collection]. UK Data Service. SN: 8498, DOI: http://doi.org/10.5255/UKDA-SN-8498-1
3. Baum, K., Catalano, S., & Rand, M. (2009). Stalking Victimization in the United States. Washington, DC: Bureau of Justice Statistics. 
4. Stieger S., Burger C., Schild A. (2008). Lifetime prevalence and impact of stalking: Epidemiological data from Eastern Austria. European Journal of Psychiatry, 22(4), 235–241.
5. Morgan, R.E. & Truman, J.L. (2022). Stalking Victimization, 2019. Washington, DC: US DOJ, Bureau of Justice Statistics, Special Report. https://bjs.ojp.gov/content/pub/pdf/sv19.pdf
6. Dressing, H., Kuehner, C., & Gass, P. (2005). Lifetime prevalence and impact of stalking in a European population: Epidemiological data from a middle-sized German city. British Journal of Psychiatry, 187(2), 168–172. doi:10.1192/bjp.187.2.168
7. Dreßing, H., Bailer, J., Anders, A., Wagner, H., & Gallas, C. (2014). Cyberstalking in a Large Sample of Social Network Users: Prevalence, Characteristics, and Impact Upon Victims. Cyberpsychology, Behavior, and Social Networking, 17(2), 61–67. https://doi.org/10.1089/cyber.2012.0231