“Sometimes I would unlock my car and find a rose on the seat – no note, just the flower…It was all he needed to do to terrorize me.”

Stalking – the relentless, unwanted pursuit of another person that leaves the victim with the sense of being hunted – is one very disturbing risk factor associated with domestic violence. Stalking is a crime that can cause tremendous fear without the slightest physical injury, and it is a very effective tactic of control for domestic violence abusers.

As reported by the U.S. Department of Justice, there is a strong correlation between stalking and other intimate partner violence.

• Stalkers are four times more likely to physically assault their partners.
• Stalkers are six times more likely to sexually assault their partners.
• 81% of women stalked by a current or former partner are physically assaulted by that partner.

If your spouse, partner or ex-partner follows you, spies on you, waits outside your home or place of business or makes an unrelenting number of phone calls, which may include threats of harm to you or other family members or pets, you are in danger. Call the Hope’s Door hotline at 888-438-8700. You are not alone.

Click here to learn about Hope’s Door’s services and how to help yourself, a family member, friend, or colleague.