Stalking victims suffer PTSD

Victims of stalking may not be receiving the support they need to deal with psychological trauma

- By RICHARD AULT

ONE in seven people aged over 16 has been harassed by a stalker at least once - yet victims of this traumatising crime may not be receiving the support they need, a charity has warned.

The latest data from the Crime Survey for England and Wales estimates that one in five women and one in 11 men aged 16 and over have been a victim of stalking.

Stalking is defined as two or more incidents causing distress, fear, or alarm.

That could include receiving an obscene or threatening message or phone call, having obscene or threatening information about you placed on the internet, being followed or watched, or someone loitering around your home or workplace.

Younger people - particularly younger women and girls - are more likely to be victimised.

In the last year alone, one in 10 women and girls aged between 16 and 19 experienced stalking, and one in 15 men of the same age.

Separate figures show police recorded more than 600,000 crimes of stalking and harassment in the year ending September 2024, but many more crimes may have gone unreported.

These figures show that stalking is more common in some parts of the country - and last year, people living in Bradford were most likely to experience this type of crime.