January is Stalking Awareness Month

Stalking Is a Serious Crime

By Janice Tuck, Community Outreach Supervisor at Project R.E.S.T.

When you hear the term “stalker” what image comes to mind? An ominous figure lurking in the shadows?  Did you know odds are the stalker is someone the victim knows, either a current or former intimate partner or acquaintance?

More than three-fourths of victims report being stalked by someone they know and, in fact, stalkers who are closer to their victims tend to be more threatening. Nationally, it is estimated that 1 in 3 women and 1 in 6 men will be stalked sometime in their lifetime.¹  In South Carolina, more than 50 percent of individuals will experience sexual violence, stalking, and intimate partner violence.²  These crimes are very often intertwined or co-occurring.

So, what exactly is stalking anyway? It is a pattern of behavior directed at a specific person that would cause a reasonable person to feel fear for their safety or the safety of others and/or suffer substantial emotional distress. This pattern of behavior, or course of conduct as it is called in most statutes, may be carried out using technology, in-person, or through third parties. In South Carolina, stalking is a felony which can carry a fine of up to $10,000 and/or 15 years in prison.³

We often hear victims say things like, “He was blowing up my phone,” or “He makes fake numbers so as soon as I block one, he’s calling or texting from another” or “It seems like everywhere I go, he keeps popping up.”

Stalkers surveil victims using location-sharing technology, by installing cameras, through mutual acquaintances’ social media, by installing tracking devices such as air tags in the victim’s car or their child’s backpack. Some stalkers enlist others to “proxy” stalk their victims and/or repeatedly drive by the victim’s home or place of work. Their scope can broaden to include other people in the victim’s life — family, friends, and, especially, new love interests.

So, what can a stalking victim do? Aside from accessing emergency services for immediate help if a threat is imminent, experts suggest keeping a detailed log of incidents.

“Under South Carolina law, stalking generally requires a pattern of words or conduct that serves no legitimate purpose and is intended to cause a reasonable person fear of harm, kidnapping or damage to property,” explained Project R.E.S.T. Legal Advocacy Program Managing Attorney Nate Molle. “Because stalking requires a pattern of words or conduct, an incident log or other proof is vital. That proof may be what allows a victim to pursue criminal stalking charges and/or allows the victim to obtain a restraining order through Magistrate Court.”

Click here for a downloadable Stalking Incident Log. For more information and resources, see The Stalking Prevention Awareness Center (SPARC).

Sources:

1. Stalking Prevention Awareness Resource Center (SPARC). Stalking in the United States. Retrieved 1.15.2025 from: https://www.stalkingawareness.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/General-Stalking-Infographic.pdf 
2. Smith, S.G., Basile, K.C., & Kresnow, M. (2022). The National Intimate Partner and Sexual Violence Survey: 2016/2017 Report on Stalking — Updated Release. Atlanta, GA: National Center for Injury Prevention and Control, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Retrieved 1.15.2025 from: https://www.cdc.gov/nisvs/documentation/index.html
3. Justia US Law. 2023 South Carolina Code of Laws Title 16 – Crimes and Offenses Chapter 3 – Offenses Against The Person Section 16-3-1730. Penalties for conviction of stalking. Retrieved 1.15.2025 from: https://law.justia.com/codes/south-carolina/title-16/chapter-3/section-16-3-1730/
4. SPARC