Students should take precautions against stalkers
Rachel Tanner
Issue date: 4/8/09 Section: Dixie Sun Link Features
Jones said after that her stalker began leaving notes outside her bedroom window. He also began hacking into her e-mail account and leaving messages.
"He would often make threats and tell me that if I didn't go on dates with him he'd kill himself and stuff like that," she said. "Eventually I found out who he was. I was really angry and called him and told him to leave me alone. And he left me alone after that."
With stories like this, and the chance that the statistics will continue growing, it's important to know what to do in case one is ever stalked.
"Be cautious about who you see and who you're friends with," said Ron Isaacson, campus security administrative assistant. "A stalker will usually be someone close to you or someone you've had a relationship with. You can't just see someone in the grocery store, have dealings with that person, and then think they are stalking you. It builds up."
Finnerty said there are several more precautions that can be taken. She said if people have someone who is stalking them, meaning they have unwanted contact that makes them fearful, they need to tell the stalker at least two times to leave them alone and stop contacting them. She said if there is another incident, St. George city police officers will take a harassment report, contact the suspect, and ask him or her to stop making any contact with the victim and if they don't, they will be arrested.
"A lot of times taking these measures will take care of it," she said. "If not, then victims can take out a stalking injunction."
Finnerty said a stalking injunction is when the suspect is served a court order to not have any contact with the victim. If they violate that order, officers can immediately arrest them and they will have a criminal charge of stalking against them. She said to take out a stalking injunction, it is also required for victims to provide some sort of proof, like a copy of a note, text message or e-mail.
"A lot of people think if they make a report or get the injunction it's going to make the suspect more angry and the problem will escalate," Finnerty said. "Sometimes that does happen, but usually when it does there's enough evidence that the officers can use it to file charges."
Jones said if she had known about what she could do when she was being stalked, she would have felt safer.
She said: "I didn't take legal action, but I thought about it. When he started leaving notes on my bedroom window I decided I was going to call the police, but then it stopped. And I wasn't sure who he was at that time so I wasn't sure what I could do about it."
Finnerty said the most important thing people being stalked need to know is that they don't have to put up with it.
"All stalkers are a little different," she said. "A lot of times ex-boyfriends or ex-spouses think if they make enough attempts to reconcile with a person, they'll give in. Other times they'll do it out of spite, to upset or cause as much fear as they can. Regardless of the situation, people don't have to deal with it. They can get help."
"He would often make threats and tell me that if I didn't go on dates with him he'd kill himself and stuff like that," she said. "Eventually I found out who he was. I was really angry and called him and told him to leave me alone. And he left me alone after that."
With stories like this, and the chance that the statistics will continue growing, it's important to know what to do in case one is ever stalked.
"Be cautious about who you see and who you're friends with," said Ron Isaacson, campus security administrative assistant. "A stalker will usually be someone close to you or someone you've had a relationship with. You can't just see someone in the grocery store, have dealings with that person, and then think they are stalking you. It builds up."
Finnerty said there are several more precautions that can be taken. She said if people have someone who is stalking them, meaning they have unwanted contact that makes them fearful, they need to tell the stalker at least two times to leave them alone and stop contacting them. She said if there is another incident, St. George city police officers will take a harassment report, contact the suspect, and ask him or her to stop making any contact with the victim and if they don't, they will be arrested.
"A lot of times taking these measures will take care of it," she said. "If not, then victims can take out a stalking injunction."
Finnerty said a stalking injunction is when the suspect is served a court order to not have any contact with the victim. If they violate that order, officers can immediately arrest them and they will have a criminal charge of stalking against them. She said to take out a stalking injunction, it is also required for victims to provide some sort of proof, like a copy of a note, text message or e-mail.
"A lot of people think if they make a report or get the injunction it's going to make the suspect more angry and the problem will escalate," Finnerty said. "Sometimes that does happen, but usually when it does there's enough evidence that the officers can use it to file charges."
Jones said if she had known about what she could do when she was being stalked, she would have felt safer.
She said: "I didn't take legal action, but I thought about it. When he started leaving notes on my bedroom window I decided I was going to call the police, but then it stopped. And I wasn't sure who he was at that time so I wasn't sure what I could do about it."
Finnerty said the most important thing people being stalked need to know is that they don't have to put up with it.
"All stalkers are a little different," she said. "A lot of times ex-boyfriends or ex-spouses think if they make enough attempts to reconcile with a person, they'll give in. Other times they'll do it out of spite, to upset or cause as much fear as they can. Regardless of the situation, people don't have to deal with it. They can get help."
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