Celebrities have resources to react to stalking cases. Just yesterday, we saw Kim Kardashian contemplate the next steps in an ongoing case she has against a stalker who she retains a restraining order against. Her legal team will meet with law enforcement and determine future actions. I am sure more news stories will be developed as a result of this. But what, if anything, are the lessons the average person can learn from this situation?

Real victims suffer from the real impact of stalking. The vulnerability a victim feels cannot be described in words or a press conference. The impact is sufficient enough to cause over 130,000 victims a year to loose their jobs according to the US Department of Justice. Often the victims feel overwhelmed by the numerous methods used on them. They feel, and worse believe, something or someone is waiting around the corner to attack them. So severe is the distrust in some that callers often refuse to give us their name when making an appointment for a consultation for fear of being discovered.

Stalking today is growing at an epidemic rate. Advances in technology make it easier than ever to stalk someone. As we have seen in recent months, the use of Facebook and Twitter can be a great source of information on someone. The agony is the victim is posting the information themselves. Just how dangerous is this? It’s just harmless postings right? Who really cares?

Your stalker cares. All day long individuals “tweet” and post information about themselves. By itself, who cares where you had coffee this morning. Who cares if you were late for your gym class?

Take a print out of your last few months’ postings. Look at it the way an analyst would. You will find more information than you ever thought possible. Separate the topics you mention into different columns. It becomes easy to figure out your schedule, your favorite places, your friends, your habits. What’s worse, some services have GPS locations associated with it. Not only do I know where you are, but I can get a picture of the area and location.

The events surrounding this case are not any different from the nearly six million cases a year the epidemic known as stalking produces. What makes this case stand out is the celebrity of the victim.

What should the average person do when faced with this type of situation? For starters, it has been reported the case is on-going since 2003. Understand this is typical in most stalking situations. The case drags on for years and becomes debilitating for the victim. It can become so debilitating in fact, that over 130,000 victims loose their jobs annually according to the most recent US Department of Justice report on Stalking.

Often times, victims of stalking try to distance themselves from the stalker by changing their phone number or email address. While this may be a short term solution, it often has a different effect and can cause certain impediments to the case.

First, get another phone number and give that new number to only very close friends and people you can trust and who know about your situation. Next, let all messages from the stalker go directly to voice mail. This helps in a couple of areas.

By recording voice mails, you are building up evidence against the stalker. Each call is a documented instance of the crime. Additionally, trained investigators can assess the messages to see if there has been an increase in volatility and attempt to determine the potential for violence against the victim. Without these recordings, we would never know the possible mental state of the stalker.

Are you a victim of stalking? This series of blog entries examines what you can do to help yourself. Today – How detailed logs can help

Once you recognize you have a stalking situation, it is time to start to do something about it. It is at this point frustration settles in and you become angry. Often, the victim will go to law enforcement and attempt to file a complaint. Being prepared for this meeting will be very helpful in getting your case started in the right direction.

At the point you realize you have a problem, start a detailed log. Keep records of all calls, emails, texts and any other items received from the stalker. Having this information will assist law enforcement in putting together an effective case. Merely saying that you have been called “thousands of times” will not help.

Stalking is at an epidemic level today. The advance of technology has made the crime of stalking much easier; a personal approach from a greater distance with greater ease of frequency. Many victims feel frustrated and defenseless in dealing with the prolonged agony of a stalking case.  In today’s first segment, we will examine the very first steps you need to take in dealing with a stalker. Future segments will deal with additional steps you can take.

Early recognition of the problem is critical in stalking cases. Often, victims refuse to be considered rude and do not aggressively react to the uncomfortable feelings they are getting from an unwanted suitor. Setting a firm boundary is not rude if the person you are uncomfortable with is acting irrationally or obsessive. If your instinct is telling you something is wrong, then you are probably right! Don’t have friends, or worse yourself, talk you out of what you are feeling.

Imagine getting a call from the Police Department you just made a report to about being stalked. The caller ID says it’s from the Police Department, a number you recognize. You talk to the Detective assigned, give your additional personal information and feel safe knowing someone is working on the case. Congratulations, you have just been “spoofed”

Telephone spoofing is the technique used by perpetrators to make you believe they are calling from a number known to you. The technology is so damaging that when you hang up the call and dial the number showing on caller ID, it rings thru to what it said on caller ID. If you think the Police are calling you, when you dial it back, the Police Department will answer.