Spotting A Stalker
Stalking has become one of the top criminal offenses in recent years and the statistics keep climbing. A lot of people want to blame this on the introduction of the Internet but the truth is that stalking has been going on many years before anyone ever heard of in home computers. Honestly, stalking has most likely been going on since the days of the cavemen. Of course, THOSE guys simply TOOK the women they wanted, and that was that. Things are a lot different now in spite of the fact that most stalkers still have that caveman mentality. Granted, anyone can be at risk for becoming a victim of a stalker. However, people that are active in the dating scene tend to be more susceptible. That’s not meant to be critical of people that enjoy dating. It’s just that these people are exposed to the possibility more.
Many of these victims found themselves as the object of a stalker after beginning an online friendship. It really doesn’t matter whether these friendships stayed online or evolved into face to face meetings. If someone is Internet savvy enough, they can find out anything they want to know about someone. The only way you can be positive of being one hundred percent safe from people discovering things about you is if you hold a high government job. Even then, all of your secrets may not be safe.
With online dating being so prevalent these days, it’s important to take some extra precautions. Now, women are typically the most common victims of stalking but there have been plenty of cases reported where men were the victims. That just means that everyone, no matter what gender you are or what your sexual persuasion is, should always exercise caution when meeting someone new.
While a lot of times, the stalker seems perfectly normal at first, there may still be small signs that something’s a bit off. For example, if he starts immediately planning a future with you on the first date, you may want to back off pretty fast. Anytime someone attaches to you that quickly, it means something isn’t right.
It’s not always that easy to spot these abnormalities, but if you find yourself constantly “running into” someone even in out of the way places, there’s a good chance you’re being followed and don’t realize it. If someone keeps calling you even though you’re constantly getting a new unlisted number, you might be in trouble. Also, don’t discount the arrival of unwanted gifts, although once things get to this stage, you’re probably going to need the help of the police and a restraining order.
Something that you can usually spot in the beginning, though, is the way he looks at you. There’s an intensity that has no business being there so soon. If you notice this, or your intuition just tells you that something’s not right, don’t hesitate to cut off all contact on your end. The faster you do it the better.
Don’t feel dumb, though, if you do happen to attract a stalker. There are many instances in where you don’t even realize that you’ve come into contact with someone of this nature. It could simply be someone you passed in the grocery store or rode the subway with. Sometimes there’s just no way to know, but by following a few common sense rules, you can keep yourself safer.
