CHAPEL HILL, N.C. – Stalking Awareness Month is over for the year, but the work to address problems continues.
In January, the Equal Opportunity and Compliance Office (EOC) participated in the National Stalking Awareness Month’s “Know it. Name it. Stop it.” campaign to raise awareness about stalking and the resources available for those in the Carolina community who experience these behaviors.
The EOC tells Carolina Week that it managed to launch “a successful digital and social media stalking awareness initiative during the month of January, reaching several thousand students, faculty, and staff across various University websites and social media channels.”
As part of the EOC’s outreach efforts their campus partner, Violence Prevention & Advocacy Services (VPAS), also reached many students throughout the month.
But what should one do in case of falling victim to stalking?
According to the EOC, there are many steps one can, and should, take. These include documenting both unwanted contact or behaviors, adjusting location and privacy settings on your phone and updating your passwords frequently.
Carolina Week requested statistics from Jan. 1, 2022 to Jan. 31, 2023, from the UNC Police regarding reported incidents of stalking. During that time period, the UNC Police received 26 reports of harassment/cyberstalking.
The EOC reminds that not all incidents reported to the Equal Opportunity and Compliance Office are reported to UNC Police and vice versa.
Visit eoc.unc.edu or call 919.445.2759 to learn how the Equal Opportunity and Compliance Office can help or read the tips for those experiencing stalking.