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Last updated: Wednesday, March 18, 1998

Background

Sheriff Hathaway warns of stalking: 'Are you a target?'

Stalking. The very word has a menacing and threatening ring to it.

"Perhaps one of the most frightening ordeals a woman can experience is stalking," Caddo Parish Sheriff Don Hathaway said, "and it is becoming an increasingly common crime throughout the nation. I urge anyone who is being stalked to exercise extreme caution."

A recently released report from the Threat Assessment Group shows about 200,000 women nationwide are currently being stalked. Statistics from the security-based consulting firm indicated that, while a few cases of female stalkers have been reported, the majority of all stalkers are male. While some stalkers suffer from mental disabilities, the majority of them are perfectly sane. Stalkers are usually acquainted with the victim and are often former dates, ex-boyfriends or spouses. The act of stalking instills, in the stalker, a sense of power, control and intimidation of the victim, similar to rape.

"Although the majority of stalking cases do not end in violence," Sheriff Hathaway said, "they do create a lot of mental anguish for the victim." Many women feel embarrassed to report a stalker to the authorities. "In many cases," the Sheriff continued, "because the stalker is someone they already know, victims believe they may be partially at fault."

The Sheriff points out warning signs of a potential stalker and how to deal with the situation if it occurs:

Warning Signs of a Stalker

• Overly attentive behavior
• Expressing anger when a date is declined
• Placing heavy emphasis on casual commitments
• Making future plans early in the relationship -- far too prematurely
• Constantly inquiring about your whereabouts and activities
• Extreme jealousy
• Isolation from friends and family

If You are a Victim of Stalking

• Educate yourself on anti-stalking statutes.
• Formally document all acts of harassment including letters, phone calls, personal contact, and so on.
• Report all incidents to the Sheriff's Office or police department.
• Ask a friend to walk you to your car and to see that you get into your home safely.
• Do not be embarrassed. Talk to friends and make them aware of what is going on.
• If the stalker's identity is known, ask law enforcement to inform his employer about the situation. The chances of a stalker halting stalking activities are greater if he knows his behavior is known and that he is being observed.
• Request that your phone company place a tracing device on your phone.
• Instead of changing your phone number, have a second phone line installed and let the answering machine take all the calls that come in on the original line.

To report a stalking incident or to learn more about the subject of stalking, contact the Caddo Parish Sheriff's Office at 318-226-6555.

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