Sexual Assault and Stalking

Stalking is a way to terrorize and intimidate another person, as is sexual assault, and the two forms of victimization may occur together.  According to Michelle M. Garcia of the Stalking Resource Center, these are some of the ways in which stalking and sexual assault overlap:

"Many pre-sexual assault behaviors can be considered predatory behaviors and stalking.  Understanding connections between stalking and sexual assault can help:

• validate victim experiences
• decrease victim blaming
• assist in developing educational programming as well as other advocacy responses for victims

Identifying stalking behavior can increase options for intervention and holding offenders accountable."

The Stalking Resource Center has abundant resources for advocates, other professionals, and community members to learn about stalking.  Start with the paper Stalking and Sexual Assault: Exploring the Nexus, and the Awareness page to  find activities ranging from five minutes to an hour for educating professionals, and community awareness activities that last from one minute to one day.  The Promote The Month page will give you all the tools you need to incorporate stalking awareness into your current awareness and prevention activities.