Just Stalking Resources, Inc.; aka Just Stalking Maryland Resources

Business Description

“Just stalking” is just that, a program to address the needs of victims, bystanders, & formal resource providers, in MD, who may need, tangible tips, resources, or education. Many programs focus on domestic violence, sexual or other assault(s), or other crimes against just women. Our goal is to be more diverse, equitable, & inclusive, providing information to recognize behaviors during the two-week stalking threshold.

Our founding Director has been a victim of stalking for approximately 15 years; she saw first-hand the lack of services for stalking victims and the gaps in the policies, laws, and training. There is a lack of resources & awareness of the biopsychosocial & financial toll it takes on the victims & their families. We wanted to help identify services & safety measures available sooner.

Most Stalking resources available in Maryland are subsumed within other services such as domestic violence, sexual and/or other assault/abuse. While this may be the eventual outcome of stalking, this leaves many stalking victims lost as to where to obtain resources until their victimization(s) have hit a boiling point. Until this happens, the message often is, “you don’t fit into this program,” implicitly or explicitly, as stalking is often considered within the context of the Violence Against Women Act, therefore the mindset is “and stalking.” However, stalking is a unique crime that can be independent of these other concerns, and it can happen to all genders, and is not always a crime within the context of “affection” or with the motive of intimacy but can be motivated by revenge.

The goal of Just Stalking is to enable victims, bystanders, and providers, to see the “red flags,” earlier, so victims can receive help promptly, by employing the tangible tips and strategies outlined throughout the site. We provide resources for those managing a stalker to find solutions. Finally, we identify strategies for those in positions of power to address stalking from a policy position.