Stalking & Harassment

Stalking and harassment are serious crimes that can have a profound emotional, psychological and practical impact on victims. These behaviours are often persistent, unwanted, and can escalate over time, which is why recognising them early and seeking support is so important.

Harassment

Harassment is when someone repeatedly behaves in a way that causes you distress, alarm or fear, and the behaviour happens two or more times. This behaviour may include;

• sending abusive text messages or images
• posting abusive messages on social media
• neighbour disputes that involve abusive behaviour or damage to property
• repeated antisocial behaviour
• making unwanted or offensive phone calls

Harassment does not need to involve a relationship or obsession — any repeated, oppressive behaviour can constitute an offence.

Stalking

Stalking is a more intrusive form of harassment. It involves patterns of behaviour that are: Fixated, Obsessive, Unwanted and Repeated — known as the FOUR mnemonic.

Common stalking behaviours include:

• following someone
• going uninvited to their home
• hanging around somewhere they know the person often visits
• watching or spying on someone
• identity theft (signing-up to services, buying things in someone's name)
• writing or posting online about someone if it's unwanted or the person doesn't know

Stalking is also defined by its impact: causing fear, serious alarm, or significant disruption to daytoday life. Examples of disruption include changing routes of travel, altering work hours, installing extra security, or even changing job or moving home. 

Online Stalking & Harassment

This includes:

• monitoring someone’s internet use, email or other electronic communication
• someone sending you photos of genitals without your permission
• getting access to someone's email and social media accounts  
• spamming and sending viruses 
• stealing someone's identity
• threatening to share private information, photographs, copies of messages
• adding tracking software to someone's devices

Digital stalking can be as harmful as inperson stalking because it allows constant access to the victim.

How Stalking & Harassment Affects Victims

Victims may experience:

• Anxiety or fear
• Sleep disturbance
• Feeling unsafe in familiar places
• Changing routines or avoiding public places
• Physical or mental health impacts

Many victims underestimate early signs, blaming themselves or hoping behaviour will stop on its own. Support is available even if you’re unsure about reporting.

Protective Orders

Police and courts can issue:

• Stalking Protection Orders (SPOs)
• Restraining Orders (even if the suspect is not convicted)
• NonMolestation Orders where the perpetrator is a partner or family member

Breaching these orders is a further criminal offence.