A student organization on the University of Wisconsin campus will host a series of events in February to raise awareness about the dangers of stalking through social media and other means on college campuses.
Promoting Awareness, Victim Empowerment aims to educate students about the basic signs of stalking and the realities of stalking on the UW campus, PAVE spokesperson Jacqueline O’Reilly said. The organization will sponsor informational workshops and events in honor of Stalking Awareness Month.
The most at-risk group for stalking ranges from ages 18-24, O’Reilly said. She added the inherent nature of a college campus makes stalking a serious issue.
“We are the group that experiences stalking at the highest rate,” O’Reilly said. “Neither students nor the university administration should let that reality go unaddressed.”
O’Reilly added people usually do not know what a typical stalking crime looks like. She also said she hopes the PAVE-sponsored workshops will dispel common stalking stereotypes.
She said although the stereotypes perpetuated by media of people peering into windows or hiding in bushes do happen, they are not the norm.
PAVE’s events for this month include a film screening of “Fear” Feb. 13 in the Student Activity Center, a Go Big Read discussion Feb. 21 and a stalking experts panel on Feb 22.
In addition, PAVE began a Facebook scavenger hunt Monday to inform students about stalking and technology.
One in four victims will be stalked through the use of technology, including email, social media and texting, O’Reilly said. Knowing the popularity of these tools makes it extremely important for campus community members to take this seriously, she said.
For the scavenger hunt, PAVE created a Facebook account under the name “Alex Paverson.” The page will function just like a typical student’s personal account, including check-ins at local restaurants and campus buildings. Those who “friend” the account can go to these places for prizes, O’Reilly said.
“It’s about learning the dynamics of stalking and technology in relation to college students,” PAVE chair Val Kowis said in a statement about the event. “We want students to understand how easily a person could abuse a social outlet if they had bad intentions.”
PAVE members also want the Facebook exercise to act as an example of how technology can often lead to victim blaming. According to O’Reilly, people often ask, “Why wasn’t your profile set to private”? or “Why would you post where you were going for the night anyway”? These types of questions can place false blame on the victim, she said.
Kowis said in a statement that, overall, the organization hopes to build a safe community through education.
Above all, O’Reilly agreed and said PAVE hopes education about this issue and how the month unfolds will empower students to recognize trends and offer victims resources to combat the problem as a community.
“Awareness is the first step in taking action, so that is what PAVE is working to do this Stalking Awareness Month: making people aware,” O’Reilly said.
