The counselor showed good knowledge of stalking behaviors but overestimated the percentage of people stalked compared to national averages. Their advice to clients matched recommendations. Twelve of thirty-eight students reported being stalked through threats, gifts, and fear. Behaviors included unwanted contact and property intrusion. Those contacting police were satisfied. While the study provides insight, more counselor responses are needed to assess training-advice matching fully. Stalking experiences varied but included lasting mental impacts. Further research could better examine counseling practices and stalking impacts.

1. By
Valerie Lake
Frank Hammonds
Karena T. Valkyrie
Troy University

2. Each year 1.4 million people become victims of
stalking (Robert and Dziegielewski, 2006).
Stalking can be defined as an unwanted,
persistent harassment towards a specific
person that causes fear, distress, or concern for
safety (Logan & Walker, 2010; Sheridan,
Gillett, & Davies, 2001).

3. Robert & Dziegielewski (2006) found that stalking
normally involves the pursuit of the victim with no
intention to harm them, but the eruption of violence may
occur during the course of the stalking.
Logan and Walker (2009), reported in their research, that
on average, stalking lasts about two years.
It was also reported that most female victims of stalking
were stalked by someone that they knew (McFarlane,
Campbell, and Watson (2002).

4. Logan and Walker (2010) found that key informant
perceptions suggested that many victim service and
criminal justice professionals did not seem to understand
the extent or gravity of the harms caused by partner
stalking.
Furthermore they found that key informant reports of
their advice to women being stalked were not consistent
with the recommendations for stalking victims in general
(Logan & Walker, 2010).

5. The purpose of this study was to examine the training on
stalking that counselors receive and how they match up
with the advice they give to their clients, and to find out
more about the stalking experiences of college students.
We hoped that the responses of the students would give
us more insight on stalking in general based on their
stalking experiences. We hoped to gain more knowledge
on stalking and stalking training, and about the frequency
of stalking locally and how individuals are affected.

6. •Participants were asked to take a survey concerning
stalking.
Each participant was asked whether they were a
student or a counselor before they began the actual
survey.
The answer to this question determined whether
that person received the counselor or student
survey.
The survey should have taken no more than 20
minutes.

7. Counselors were asked about their:
•knowledge on stalking
•information about their training on stalking
•the advice that they give out to stalking victims
•what they think can be done to improve training
on stalking
•what they think the biggest mistake victims of
stalking make.

8. Students were asked about their:
•knowledge on stalking
•If they had ever been a victim of stalking
•If they had been a victim they were
asked about their stalking experience.

9. • We hoped to learn more about the
training counselors receive regarding
stalking and the advice they give to
clients.
• We also hoped learn about the
frequency of stalking locally and how
individuals are affected.

10. • The counselor survey was completed by
one counselor
• The counselor reported that he/she
believed that 57% of women and 14% of
men are stalked
• According to the National Institute of
Justice 8% of women and 2% of men in the
US have been stalked in their life.

11. The counselor stated that the following are all involved in stalking:
Multiple phone calls to the victim
Following the victim
Leaving gifts for the victim
Leaving voice messages for the victim
Text messages to the victim
Speaking to the victim
Breaking and entering of the victim's properties
Sending letters to the victim
Use of a third party to contact victim

12. The counselor stated that the following is what he/she advises
his/her clients to do:
• Contact police
• Change nothing about your habits so that you don't let the
stalker affect your life
• Alter routes to and from work
• Get an unlisted number
• Inform neighborhood watch (if available) and your neighbors
• Save all evidence of the stalking-related incidents
• Contact phone company and internet server for help saving
contacts from the stalker and to block further contact

13. The counselor stated that the following is what he/she advises
his/her clients to do:
• Stand up to the stalker
• Avoid places frequented by the stalker
• Instruct children (if any) and family members to keep
personal information and any changes private
• Contact the stalker
• Encourage them to work with law enforcement and
prosecutors
• If possible move or get a roommate
• Try not to be alone

14. • This particular counselor receives
training 1-3 times a year and has
received the training 1-3 times before.
• Anywhere from 1-2 times a month
he/she has a stalking victim as a
client.

15. • The counselor also believes that if
there were more trainings and
knowledge available that it would
improve the trainings.
• Also the biggest mistake stalking
victims seem to make, according to
this counselor, is fighting back and not
telling anyone.

16. • Out of the thirty eight students, twelve have
been a victim of stalking before. This is what
they stated:
• Were threatened by their stalker: 4
• Received unwanted gifts: 3
• Were afraid of their stalker: 9
• Were physically attacked by their stalker: 2

17. • Contacted the police on their stalker:3
• Pressed charges on their stalker: 2
• Their stalker was convicted: 2
• Received advice from a counselor: 2

18. • The ways they were contacted by their stalker are as followed:
• Phone Calls
• Following
• Gifts
• Voicemails
• Text Messages
• Letters
• Breaking and entering your properties
• Use of third party

19. • The students average on what percent of
women and men they believe are stalked was
• 43.5% (ranging from 5% to 75%) of women
• 21.7% (ranging from 1% to 60%) of men.
• As far as this college campus they believe
• 27.6% (ranging from 2% to 80%) of women
• 12.9% (ranging from .05% to 43%) of men are
stalked.

20. Behavior # of Students Percent
Following the victim 34 89.5%
Multiple phone calls to the victim 32 84.2%
Breaking and entering of the victim's properties 32 84.2%
Multiple text messages to the victim 28 73.7%
Use of a third party to contact victim 22 57.9%
Leaving voice messages for the victim 22 57.9%
Letters to the victim 21 55.3%
Leaving gifts for the victim 18 47.4%

21. Behavior # of Students Percent
Speaking to the victim 9 23.7%
Smiling at the victim 7 18.4%
Waving at the victim 6 15.8%

22. In conclusion the counselor showed good
knowledge of stalking.
However this counselor’s estimate on what
percentage of women and men are stalked was
higher than compared to the national average,
but the advice he/she gives to his/her clients,
compared to what Crime Victim Services states
they should be advising the client to do,
matched up pretty well.

23. The students had a pretty good idea of what stalking is
and the average of their estimates on the percentage of
women and men that are stalked matched up closer to the
national average than what the one counselor who took
the survey stated.
There were 12 students who took this survey who stated
they had been stalked before. Their stalking experiences
ranged from lasting 1 day to 5 years. They received threats
to their lives and a lot of mental abuse from their stalkers.
The 3 who contacted the police stated that they were
indeed happy with the response of the police. Overall out
of the 2 students who received advice from a counselor
they rated it as being either neutral or helpful.

24. As stated earlier we had hoped to find out if the training that
counselors receive matched up to the advice they give out to
their clients who have been stalked. Unfortunately we only had
one counselor take the survey, so we cannot conclude that our
results are correct because all counselors may not feel the same
way this counselor did.
We had a small number of student participants, but their
responses helped us to learn more about the frequency of
stalking locally and how stalking affected their lives.
In the future we would like to conduct the study again with
more responses from counselors to really answer our question.

25. S.A.V.E. Project and Personal Counseling
Services
Phone: (334) 670-3700
Fax: (334) 670-3790
Mail: 113 College Drive, Troy, AL 36082
E-mail: save@troy.edu

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