Stalking, Harassment and Cyberstalking: Are you doing all you can?

Published by Press Office for Safety Net Associates Limited in Housing and also in Central Government, Communities, Education, Environment, Health, Local Government

Stalking affects more than 2 million people in the UK every year (British Crime Survey 2009/10). It can lead to rape and murder. It can lead to victims taking their own lives. In every case it steals lives.

Due to the nature of stalking, many agencies, organisations and individuals are in a position to combat this wide reaching problem. By fully understanding and recognising the warning signs and by ensuring that each incident is dealt with correctly and by making full use of the tools available the impact of stalking on its victims can be reduced.

Stalking is not a 'one-off' crime. It is a series of incidents which, when taken in isolation, can appear trivial but when put together become far more sinister.

You are more likely to be a victim of stalking than of violent crime (British Crime Survey)

77% of victims wait until they have had more than 100 incidents of unwanted behaviour before they tell anyone about it.

The National Stalking Training Academy was launched earlier this year with the backing of the Home Secretary to combat this growing problem. It brings together some of the worlds experts in the field to help better understand this devastating crime and train those trying to tackle it. The academy is a partnership between the The Safety Net Associates Group, The Network for Surviving Stalking and the National Centre for Cyberstalking Research.

Full details of the training offered by the academy can be found at: www.cspacademy.ac.uk/NationalStalkingTrainingAcademy-Events.htm.

Training can be delivered in house to your organisation, network or partnership or at one of the scheduled open programme events being held across the country. The cost to attend one of the open programme events has been fixed for 2011 to just £150. In house delivery will cost £1500 (maximum of 30 delegates per day) making the in house delegate rate as low as just £50 per person.

Since its launch earlier this year the academy has already been engaged by a wide range of practitioners and organisations who have recognised that they play an important part this issue, these include:

Housing Providers
Police Forces
Local Authorities
Schools, Colleges and Universities
Health Service
Charities
Victim Services
Probation
Community Safety Partnerships
Youth Offending Services

Extra open programme event added:

Following a large number of requests from those who missed the first London date, the academy will be holding an additional training event in London on the 5th of October 2011. The training will now be delivered at the following dates:

Birmingham - 12th October 2011
Brighton - 24th November 2011
Cardiff - 9th November 2011
Carlisle - 2nd November 2011
Liverpool - 19th October 2011
London - 5th October 2011 - EXTRA DATE ADDED -
Manchester - 28th September 2011
Wrexham - 7th September 2011

The training can also be delivered to your organisation, network or partnership on an in house basis. See our website or contact us for more details.

At the launch of the National Stalking Training Academy Home Secretary, Theresa May said:

"Stalking is a deeply disturbing crime with many victims living in fear for years - this has to stop. That is why tackling stalking forms a key part of our action plan to end violence against women and girls"

"We welcome the new training programme which will help improve understanding of stalking and most importantly ensure that all agencies treat it as a serious issue."

To book your place now please register at: http://www.cspacademy.ac.uk/Book-Online.htm

For further details about the National Stalking Training Academy please click here, email learning@cspacademy.ac.uk or call 0845 299 7144