What is stalking?

Stalking is a pattern of behavior directed at a specific person that would cause a person to fear for the person’s safety or the safety of others; or suffer substantial emotional distress.

• Tactics: unwanted contact including phone calls, texts, and contact via social media, unwanted gifts, showing up/approaching an individual or their family/friends, monitoring, surveillance, property damage, and threats.

• Two or more incidents make it a pattern but law varies from state to state.

• 1 in 3 women and 1 in 6 men will experience stalking in their lifetime.

Resources on Stalking:
Understanding Stalking
Stalking Response Strategies
Sexual Violence as Stalking
Stalking Log Instructions

For more information, visit: stalkingawareness.org

Are You Being Abused?

Does your partner:

• Keep track of your time, where you go, and who you’re with?

• Prevent you from seeing family and friends?

• Prevent you from getting a job?

• Harass you at work?

• Threaten you or your pets or belongings?

• Force you to have sex or do sexual acts you’re uncomfortable with?

• Put you down or call you names?

• Hit, shove, choke or kick you or throw objects at you?

If you are experiencing abuse:

• Get somewhere safe.

• Call the police.

• Get medical attention if needed.

• Call the YWCA Domestic Violence Shelter crisis line at 419-241-7386 for support, referrals or information on coming to the Shelter.

• Get legal advice or advocacy.

• File criminal charges at Municipal Court and request a Temporary Restraining Order, or

• File for a Civil Protection Order at Family Court.

• Get support from a counselor or support group.

• Call the Domestic Violence Shelter crisis line for more information about any of these steps.

If someone you know is experiencing abuse:

• Listen, support, and don’t judge them. Even if you may not agree with the decisions your friend is making, they may be doing the best they can to stay alive.

• Tell them it’s not their fault, that no one deserves to be abused, and that they are not alone.

• Give them the number of the Shelter crisis line and let them know about support groups.

• Call the crisis line for more information about how you can help.

• Call the crisis line for a detailed definition of Domestic Violence.

Types of Abuse:

PHYSICAL – Throwing objects, Hitting, Pushing, Pulling Hair, Holding you down

SEXUAL – Sexual demands, Forcing sexual acts against your will, Coercing, Sexual Assault

VERBAL/EMOTIONAL – Criticizing, Blaming, Threatening, Constant phone calls, harming pets or possesions

FINANCIAL – Making or controlling all the money decisions, Withholding money or financial information, Forcing partner to turn over paycheck

PSYCHOLOGICAL – Finding fault with everything you do, Denying events or details so that you doubt your memory or judgement, Putting you down every chance they get

Domestic Violence Facts

A woman is battered every 15 second in the United States.

95% of domestic violence victims are women.

Women are more likely to be assaulted, injured, raped or killed by a male partner or former partner than by any other assailant.

Battering causes more injuries to women than rape, muggings, and auto accidents combined.

Domestic violence crosses all boundaries, happening to women of all races, income levels, sexual orientations and ages.

Businesses lose millions of dollars a year from absenteeism resulting from domestic violence.

No woman deserves to be abused or wants to be abused.

For information on Teen Dating Violence, click here

YWCA DOMESTIC VIOLENCE SHELTER CRISIS LINE (419) 241-7386