Victims react differently if fear is a key element in the stalking and harassment. The tactics that stalkers use can create enough distress that their victims fear for their own lives or safety or for that of a family member, friend, or a pet. Approximately 29% of stalking victims fear that the stalking behaviors will never stop (Baum et al., 2009).
Additional ways that stalking can impact victims include:
- Being stalked can affect one's ability to trust others and cause victims to be constantly on alert, feel vulnerable, stressed, and anxious (National Center for Victims of Crime, 2004). Sometimes the stalking behavior is random and mild at first, and then it may grow more pervasive and threatening. Victims may initially overlook or minimize what later is determined to be stalking.
- Victims often find themselves changing their routines to avoid their stalkers' actions. Changes can include anything from varying routes or methods of transportation to changing telephone numbers or taking time off from work or school. According to Baum et al. (2009), more than half of stalking victims lose five or more days from work and others experience issues with their employers (including termination) because of the stalking.
- When any form of technology is involved in stalking, victims may become fearful of or uncomfortable when using devices that had been part of their lifestyles. Stalkers may ruin some victims' enjoyment of social networking sites or chat rooms by spreading rumors or posting inappropriate material. Stalkers may use cameras or other devices to invade victims' privacy so the victim feels they have no safe place.
- Some victims have relocated to evade their stalkers. Some have even changed their social security numbers. Getting a new identity may seem ideal, but it can generate other unintended consequences that should be considered. Employment, credit eligibility, and other factors can be adversely affected when social security numbers and names do not match.
- Many stalking victims seek counseling as a result of their victimization. Victims have reported feelings of powerlessness, exaggerated startle reflex, panic attacks, hyper-vigilance, chronic sleep disturbances, appetite disturbances, persistent nausea and excessive fatigue (Baum et al., 2009).
- Stalking can have a financial impact on victims from the loss of work and increased expenses such as attorney fees, costs associated with damage to property, child care costs, moving costs, and costs of changing phone numbers (Baum et al., 2009). In other instances, stalkers may have committed identity theft, opening or closing accounts and charging merchandise and services to victims' credit cards without their consent (Baum et al., 2009).