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By Abby Zieverink

National Stalker Awareness Month

Odyssey House creating awareness for Stalking Awareness Month

Jan 20, 2022 | 2:40 PM

January is National Stalking Awareness Month.

Odyssey House in Grande Prairie has been using the month to share tips, statistics, and resources about stalking.

Lisa Watson, Executive Director at the Odyssey House says it is important to identify stalkers to help keep people in the community safe.

“Stalking can escalate into violence. The risk of violence is heightened when the stalker issues direct threats of violence, expresses jealousy, or there is illegal drug use as well.”

The definition of stalking is a pattern of behavior directed at a specific person that would cause a reasonable person to fear for the persons’ safety or the safety of others or suffer substantial emotional distress.

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Watson explains over half of stalking offenders are intimate partners.

“Stalking often occurs with intimate partner violence and can be an indicator of other forms of violence, many abusers use stalking to intimidate and control their victims,” she said.

However, she adds stalking is not limited to one behaviour and can appear different in every situation.

Behaviours that are considered to be stalking include unwanted contact through calls, texts, etc., unwanted gifts, showing up at the victim’s home uninvited, monitoring, surveillance, property damage, and threats.

Resources are available through the Odyssey House for anyone who is dealing with a stalker or knows of someone who is.

“Stalking is something that people don’t report or self-disclose,” explained Watson.

“We do encourage individuals if stalking is occurring or if there is suspect of stalking to please reach out so we can connect you with the appropriate resources.”

If there is a direct threat to the victim or someone else, Watson says to call 911 or the local RCMP detachment.

More information can be found on the Odyssey House website or Facebook.

Odyssey House crisis line: 780-532-2672