Consequences

Stalking affects the quality of life in a negative way. The person who permanently has to deal with unsolicited contact at tempts feels at the very least harassed. If insults and threats are added on, you can feel attacked, while also being in a state of fear. If the entire interaction lasts for a longer period of time, with the person being stalked seemingly not being able to influence the situation, one could easily feel unprotected and powerless, as well as angry.

Stalking can spoil the joy of life. You experience how your freedom of movement becomes more and more limited everyday, because you always have to think about how to avoid your stalker. As a consequence, a lot of stalking victims show strong symptoms of stress, such as anxiety, restlessness, insomnia and/or depression. In some of the worst cases, it can come to traumatization with longterm effects and possibly to thoughts about suicide.

Some want simply to disappear and make themselves invisible.

They consider a relocation or change of the workplace.

“I just want everything to stop, so I can live normally again”, is a typical thought in this situation.

Recommended actions

• Make immediately and unequivocally clear to the stalker that you do not want any further contact with him/her. Stay consistent!
• Publicity can protect you: inform all the people around you (e.g. your family, friends, work colleagues and neighbours), if you have become a victim of stalking.
• Document everything that the stalker sends, communicates or does in a diary, so that you have facts and evidence if necessary.
• Personal data does not belong in the household waste! Be careful with your documents that contain your personal data (e.g. letters or magazine subscriptions).
• In the case of so-called telephone harassment and other stalking actions, e.g. via PC (so-called cyberstalking), seek advice on technical measures (secret telephone numbers, answerphones, mobiles, other telephone connectons, etc.).
• Approach institutions that help victims (e.g. the counselling centre Stop-Stalking).
• Inform people who you trust about your worries and fears. Do not be apprenhensive about seeking medical and/or psychotherapy aid organisations for any health problems.
• It helps to file complaints with the police! Except for a few exceptions, it has been shown that quick and consistent police intervention against the stalker has an impact and the harassment often stops after a complaint has been made.
• In order to protect yourself from the stalking, you can apply to the courts for an “injunction/protection order“ according to the “Protection against Violence law“.

We offer

It is not always possible to stop stalking within a short period of time. Luckily you can protect yourselves through certain measures but also through the attitude of inner strength that you had possessed before stalking started.

Legal sanctions are provided by the stalking law (Nachstellungsgesetz). With the help of the violence protection law

(Gewaltschutzgesetz) a restriction order can be obtained. In individual cases it should be decided what legal measures are most effective. Anyone being stalked does not have to accept this.

WE OFFER:

• We inform and counsel you about stalking and what you can do against it.
• We look into the stalking pattern and the offender profile and develop individual solutions.
• To reach the successful outcome we go into your uncertainty and create a measure plan for your security.
• We make together with you a thorough risk analysis and assist in minimizing the threat.
• We support you if you want to take legal measures. If necessary, we cooperate closely with law enforcement agencies/authorities.
• We also counsel relatives and friends and the professionals dealing with stalking.

Your protection and stability are our priorities.