Stalking and harassment
In this section:
| 1. What is stalking and harassment? |
| 2. What to do now if you're being stalked or harassed |
| 3. Protection from online stalking or harassment |
| 4. How to report stalking or harassment |
| 5. Protective orders |
| 6. Support for victims and witnesses of stalking and harassment |
What is stalking and harassment?
Stalking and harassment are similar offences. They involve repeated, unwanted behaviour towards you from another person. This unwanted behaviour affects your life or daily activities.
If this behaviour happened two times or more, it may be a crime and you can report it to us.
However, if unwanted behaviour happens once, it may still be a different kind of offence. Please report the incident to us. We want to know about unwanted behaviour as early as possible so we can help you and take the right action.
Both stalking and harassment are offences under the Protection from Harassment Act 1997. We take these crimes very seriously and we’re here to support you.
If you're not sure if it's stalking or harassment, they can be similar - just tell us what's been happening and we'll explain if an offence has taken place and what it is.
Harassment
Harassment is when someone repeatedly targets you with unwanted behaviour. This unwanted behaviour affects your life.
Harassment may include:
- sending messages, images, emails, or other communications that are abusive, threatening or unwanted
- posting abusive content on social media
- ongoing abuse or damage to property
- repeated antisocial behaviour
- making unwanted or offensive phone calls
It must happen two times or more for it to be a harassment offence.
Stalking
Stalking is when someone repeatedly targets you with unwanted behaviour. The behaviour is obsessive or fixated and it can mean you have to change your life or daily activities.
Stalking may include:
- following someone
- going uninvited to their home, workplace, school or other locations
- hanging around somewhere they know the person often visits
- watching or spying on someone
- identity theft (signing-up to services, buying things in someone's name)
- writing or posting online about someone if it's unwanted or the person doesn't know
It must happen two times or more for it to be a stalking offence.
Online stalking or harassment
Stalking or harassment can happen online using the internet, apps, or other digital platforms, or by using other technology such as tracking devices or spyware.
Online stalking or harassment may include:
- monitoring someone’s internet use, email or other electronic communication
- sending unwanted sexual or intimate messages, images, videos or other explicit content, including images of genitals
- getting access to someone's email and social media accounts
- spamming and sending viruses
- stealing someone's identity
- threatening to share private information, photographs, copies of messages
- adding tracking software to someone's devices
If this unwanted behaviour has happened two times or more, it may be stalking or harassment. If it's happened once, it may still be a different kind of offence.
The impact of stalking and harassment
Stalking and harassment can have a serious impact on your mental health, physical wellbeing and daily life. Some people who have been stalked or harassed have had to make changes to their daily lives; some have changed jobs or moved house.
It's important that you get the support you need if this is something you're experiencing. You are not alone, support is available to you.
If you're not ready to report to us, that's OK, there are support organisation that can give you advice and help.