Stalking during the pandemic
Since March, we've been told that staying home will keep us and others safe. Unfortunately, for stalking victims, this isn't always true. Research on COVID-19's effects on stalking explains that the isolation of quarantine can magnify stalkers' feelings of rejection and intensify fixations, leading to increased stalking behaviors. Victims' inability to leave home means perpetrators always know their location. According to a study by the digital security company Avast, there was a 51% increase in the use of online spyware between March and June, 2020.
Curtis explained that her agency made most of their programs remote and spread the word in order to combat this. “Particularly early on, we were really strategic in making sure that survivors knew that many of our programs were working remotely," she said. More advocates were added to Safe Horizon's live chat option, and the agency worked virtually with government partners and other organizations to help victims.Fortunately, there are many resources available for victims of stalking."There's a network of domestic violence and sexual programs all across the country," Landhuis explained.
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