Springfield organization observes Stalking Awareness Month 2024

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. (KY3) - Stalking affects one in three women and one in six men across the United States, according to the Stalking, Prevention, Awareness, and Resource Center.

Springfield’s Harmony House focuses on this issue during January since this month is National Stalking Awareness Month 2024. Kristen Snell is Harmony House’s Director of Engagement and Partnerships. Snell said stalking has only evolved over time and has gotten worse due to technology.

“The vast majority of stalking is now happening through technology, which is unfortunate because as technology changes, there are some really great benefits to it, but unfortunately, abusive partners are using it in a very negative way,” Snell said. “One of the things that we see, for example, is with apple air tags. Those are meant to be a way to keep track of your items and valuables when you’re traveling. But an abusive partner can take that Apple air tag and slip it into someone’s vehicle or someone’s bag without them knowing. Now that abusive partner is able to track them and know where they are.”

She said it’s essential for everyone to understand and learn about the signs of cyberstalking that you might not always think about.

“If you’re seeing an increase in your data usage, or your battery is draining faster than it used to, or your settings have changed, or if things just look different, those can be signs that someone has installed maybe some hacking software onto your device,” Snell said.

Harmony House has local resources on its website. The Victim Connect Resource Center also has a lot of tips on its website on what you can do if you become a victim of a stalker.

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