From harassment to bullying, being the target of someone’s unwanted attention online is something that can be incredibly difficult to deal with. Unfortunately, sometimes that attention moves beyond blog comments and creepy tweets and turns into full-blown stalking.
According to a British Crime Survey, 1/5 women and 1/10 men over 16 have been victims of stalking. These victims can suffer years of depression, post-tramatic stress and anxiety - and even those of us who have been bullied or harassed online can attest to how draining and stressful it can be.
Interestingly, there is a new treatment center those who are the perpetrators in stalking cases called the National Stalking Clinic. Those who have stalked - sent unwanted emails, have been subjected to restraining orders, etc - can now be referred by the court to the clinic where they will be assessed, treated and rehabilitated.
It will be interesting to see and hear what exactly goes on in this clinic, and how the medical staff can treat something such as unhealthy obsessions and stalking. The staff say that an 18-month course of treatment will cost £10,000, which they argue is still cheaper than a short prison sentence.
My only hope is that the same effort that is going in to help the stalkers is also given to the victims.