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Myths & Facts

Myth: Stalking only happens to a few people each year: it is not that big of a deal.

Fact: Research indicates that more than 1 million women and more than 300,000 men are stalked each year.

Myth: Stalking only happens during the high school years.

Fact: The majority of stalking victims (74 percent) are between 18 and 39 years old.

Myth: Victims/survivors are only stalked by strangers.

Fact: Most individuals being stalked are stalked by people that they know. In fact, each year more than half a million of women are stalked by an intimate partner.

Myth: Stalkers are mostly harmless.

Fact: There are cases of stalking that last for years and never turn violent while others can end in sexual assault or rape or turn deadly, quickly. The cases that seem harmless may be the most deadly.

Myth: Stalking is no big deal and doesn't really impact the life of a stalking victim. 1

Fact: 25-30% of stalking victims sought psychological counseling as a result of their victimization. The average stalking cases last 1.8 years and nearly one fifth of the victims are so fearful that they move to new homes to escape their stalkers.

1Tjaden, Patricia and Nancy Thoennes. Prevalence, Incidence, and Consequences of Violence Against Women: Findings From the National Violence Against Women Survey. US Dept of Justice: November 1998

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