Could You be a Target for Stalking?

For the majority of people, when you hear stories of stalking, it is normally associated with someone who has become obsessed with a celebrity.  There have been numerous examples of stalkers terrorizing celebrities; Richard Gere, George Harrison, John Lennon & Gwyneth Paltrow have all been victims – some incidents were more serious than others (George Harrison was stabbed and attacked in his own home, John Lennon assassinated).

So have you ever considered that you could be a target for stalking?  If not – it’s advisable to have a rethink..  Stalking is not restricted for celebrities – I should know, I’ve had 4 stalkers to date.

I’m not famous, I’m not rich.  I don’t consider myself to be exceptionally attractive – I consider myself pretty normal and average looking – yet there must be something about me, that attracts the wrong type of person.

The first incident I experienced (which wasn’t a stalking), was when I was 16 years old.  I was attending a careers interview, a few months before I was due to finish my schooling education.  Whilst walking from school to attend the interview, a complete stranger drew up in his car alongside me, and tried to drag me into his car.  Fortunately, I was strong enough (and loud enough) to fight him off – but it left me badly shaken.

This was quite a traumatic moment in my life, and I would liked to have thought that it was a one off incidence..  Unfortunately, it was the first of many such incidence.

My next stalker was another complete stranger.  Whilst, travelling to work one day,  I had to take the last seat on the bus, and sat down next to a young man.  He moved over in the seat, to give me extra room to sit down, so I said “thank you”.  My politeness was my downfall!  Because I had “engaged” him in conversation, he took this to mean I was interested in him.  When I got off the bus, he followed me to work.  He would wait for me outside my place of work, and then follow me back to the bus station.  He would either sit next to me on the bus, or even worse, would sit behind me and touch my hair.  It got so bad, that I had to wait hours before I would catch my connecting bus home, just in case he followed me again.  Over several months,  I reported him to the police, before they finally had words with him and the stalking stopped.