The quick answer is yes: no matter who you are, you should be concerned about the possibility that someone is stalking you. Stalkers can pose a threat to any individual, though if you watch the news you might think that they only target young, single women. If you are concerned that someone may be stalking you, you have every reason to be concerned. Whether they are after a romantic relationship, are seeking revenge, or are gathering information for a burglary or another crime, if you feel like you are being stalked always take it seriously.

Some indications of stalking behavior include: persistent and/or threatening phone calls, repeated unwanted gifts, constant emails or letters and possibly waiting for you outside your place of work. Stalkers may feel that they have some sort of “connection” or relationship with you, which makes it difficult for them to realize you feel threatened by their attention. Stalkers may be prone to violence towards you, your friends and family, and/or towards themselves.

If you do seem to have picked up a stalker, always take it seriously, no matter how harmless they seem. You never know what they have planned for you. Stalkers often do not realize that their behavior is inappropriate, and it is likely to escalate until you do something about it.

As a general rule, stalkers aren’t inclined to take “no” as an answer. Simply telling a stalker to leave you alone or stop bothering you is probably not going to work. What starts out looking like simple coincidence can quickly turn into a habit, and that habit can turn into an obsession. Many stalkers possess obsessive personality traits, which may be the reason that they fixate on one individual.

If you are concerned that you are being stalked notify authorities, friends and family. Alert your coworkers to the situation and ask a security guard to walk you to your car whenever possible. Alter your daily routine and the routes you drive to work. In extreme cases you may need to change your email and phone number, move and change jobs. The best way to protect yourself from a stalker is to seek the help of the authorities, friends and family. Avoid publishing too much personal information on social websites like MySpace or Facebook – these details may seem harmless, but they can feed a stalker far too much information about your activities.

No matter how much assistance you’re getting from the police, your family, and your friends, always be prepared to deal with the stalker yourself. No matter how hard you attempt to avoid them, it is possible that you will run into them someday. The stalker may also be gathering information to make a violent advance, whether a sexual assault or a home invasion and robbery. If this does happen, be prepared to fight back – use a stun gun, pepper spray, or another self defense device to escape your stalker’s grasp. And of course, call the police as soon as possible to finally put an end to this threat.

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