Stalking: harassment with serious consequences

Tanja thought her fellow student Tom was nice enough, until her friends told her that photos of her apartment had appeared on his Facebook page. She had attended a seminar with him and talked to him now and then about the seminar topic, but other than that, Tanja didn’t really know him at all. New photos appeared on his Facebook page every day. They showed Tanja seen through her kitchen window or coming out of her house. She didn’t know how and when these pictures had been taken. More and more people asked her about it. She became so afraid that she spent several nights at girlfriends’ houses and stopped going to university for fear of running into Tom. She was helpless and didn’t know what to do.

Prevention at university

This story is real – it happened at a university in Germany. It could also happen here. Dealing with such cases is the specialty of Jens Hoffman: a trained psychologist, he gives threat management advice to universities, companies and public authorities in Switzerland, Germany and Austria. In several hundred cases of threats, stalking and violence, he has assessed the risks involved and supported the victims. He also acts as an expert advisor for the Safety, Security, Health and Environment (SSHE) staff unit of ETH Zurich.
What is stalking, exactly? “It is repeated harassment or pursuit of another person which that person perceives as threatening”, says Jens Hoffmann. This type of harassment can occur in any place where large numbers of people meet or work. This also includes universities. “Universities are special places because they are very open and easily accessible”, says Hoffmann. This is why ETH Zurich has included the issue of stalking in its risk management programme. “There are only very few cases at ETH, but we want to take precautionary measures and make people aware of the issue”, says Katherine Timmel, Head of SSHE.

Awareness and support

Unlike in English-speaking countries, the issue of stalking is not very prominent in continental Europe. Its consequences for victims are often very dramatic: people who are stalked by someone usually feel helpless and don’t know what to do. “We want to raise awareness of this issue and support victims”, says Katherine Timmel. Stalkers may harass their victims daily by calling them, writing them letters, following them or contacting them on social networks, causing them to suffer from fear, depression and even panic attacks and sleep disorders. People in such situations often stop going out in public. Their trust in others may be eroded in such a way that their relationships suffer. Stalking victims often become aggressive and resort to pills and alcohol. One study found that the trauma suffered by victims of heavy stalking is about as severe as that suffered by plane crash survivors.

Get help immediately

Hoffmann knows from experience that stalking can be stopped more easily the sooner the victim seeks help. The physical and psychological stress involved can cause victims to become sick and lose their strength to do something about it. “That is the reason why many companies take this problem seriously and specifically offer help against stalking”, says Hoffmann. Preventive measures at universities in particular are very successful, he says. A university can thus show that it is aware of the issue and its consequences, and in this way scare off potential perpetrators. Such was the case of Tanja: thanks to the university’s targeted intervention, the stalker stopped harassing her and she could go back to studying in peace.

What to do in case of stalking

What should you do if you are being stalked? SSHE offers help to anyone affected by stalking. The Threat Management team offers advice on how to behave and works together with those affected to find the right solutions. The core team includes members of SSHE, Human Resources, the Rectorate and the Psychological Counselling Service. Katherine Timmel says it is better to ask for assistance one time too many than one time too few. Moreover, SSHE also offers help in cases of threats against people, suspicious behaviour and hints of violent intentions. “Usually, your gut feeling tells you that something isn’t right”, says Katherine Timmel. All queries are treated confidentially and with immediate attention. Jens Hoffmann also advises victims not to take any measures against stalkers single-handedly, since this usually leads to further harassment: “This often makes perpetrators feel rejected and thus intensify their stalking behaviour”.
Anyone affected by stalking should therefore seek support immediately and record the harassing behaviour in journals, letters, e-mails or photos.