Lana Hollerud

 Crime Victim’s Resource Center

January is Stalking Awareness Month. Stalking continues to be a problem in our community — one in 12 women will be stalked during their lifetime as well as one in 45 men.

The National Domestic Violence Hotline reports that social media surveillance is increasing. Stalking through social media can take several forms; one form is using apps such as Facebook to keep track of what their stalking victim is doing or going to do and then using that information in a way that is distressing to their victim. For instance, a victim posts on social media that they are going to go to the movie that evening with friends and the stalker shows up at the same movie.

Another way social media is used by stalkers to torment their victims is by posting disturbing information under their victim’s name as if they are actually the victim. Similar to this method is a stalker creating a false profile in their victim’s name with derogatory information about their victim in order to embarrass or tarnish their victim’s reputation in some manner.

There are three simple steps you can take to minimize your risk of being stalked through social media. The first is to really pay attention to what privacy settings you are using. Second, be very careful about whom you accept as a friend; if you don’t know the person, think twice about becoming “friends” with them. Third, be careful what information you post about your social plans or what very personal information you choose to share.

If you are being stalked through social media and are looking for information and options, give us a call at the office, 507-437-6680.