Stalking: Think FOUR

Stalking – it’s #notaromcom. Stalking is a pattern of unwanted, repeated behaviour that can leave you feeling scared or distressed. You don’t have to be threatened with violence to be a victim of stalking. Any kind of persistent, unwanted contact that causes distress is still stalking and is unacceptable. 

Sometimes stalking behaviours may seem small on their own. But when added together to make FOUR: fixated, obsessed, unwanted, repeated then you should record the behaviour and report it to us before it escalates further. 

We’ve been conditioned to see some persistent behaviours as harmless or even desirable thanks to romantic comedies in film and TV, but life is not a rom com. Watch our romantic-comedy video, to see how seemingly small gestures can escalate into something far more sinister.  

Remember the four warning signs of stalking 

If the behaviour you have experienced is: 

• Fixated 
• Obsessed 
• Unwanted 
• Repeated 

It's stalking. If the unwanted behaviour has happened to you more than once, it is stalking. Life is #notaromcom. 

Support is available if you’re being stalked. In Hampshire and the Isle of Wight we have a Specialist Stalking Advocacy Service you can contact for advice and support.  

Find out more about stalking, what you can do and how to report it via the links below.