Friday, March 6, 2026
The CSC Eagle Newspaper – Chadron, NE
Latest:
The CSC Eagle Newspaper – Chadron, NE
News

Stalking awareness month prompts safety tips from college, community

Eagle Staff

“In our schools and in our neighborhoods, at home and in workplaces across our Nation, stalking endangers the physical and emotional well-being of millions of American men and women every year. Too often, stalking goes unreported and unaddressed, and we must take action against this unacceptable abuse.  This month, we stand with all those who have been affected by stalking and strengthen our resolve to prevent this crime before it occurs,” Barack Obama, president of the United States, stated in a Dec. 28, 2011 proclamation.

This year marks the ninth year of observing January as Stalking Awareness Month.

The United States Department of Health and Human Services Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released its first National Intimate Partner and Sexual Violence Survey. The NIPSVS survey highlighted the following conclusions:

  • Nearly one in six women has experienced stalking so severe that she felt very fearful or believed that she or someone close to her would be harmed or killed
  • One in 19 men has experienced the same level of stalking
  • Women were particularly likely to be stalked by a current or former intimate partner.

Chadron State offers a variety of free resources to stalking victims, including licensed counseling services. Ann Dockweiler, college nurse, said that the college has both a male and female counselor available. Students can arrange a counseling session by calling Health Services at 308-432-6232.

A domestic, dating, and sexual violence prevention group, the DOVES Program, also offers support and resources for those experiencing abuse.

Adele Clark, DOVES Program coordinator for Dawes/Sheridan Counties, stated the following ways stalking victims can respond:

  • Keep a record of everything the stalker does.
  • Keep copies of texts, emails, letters, notes, gifts
  • Write down the date & time of every visit or unwanted contact
  • Get the names of witnesses to the stalker’s behavior.
  • Report the stalker to the police every time he or she makes contact. Consistent reporting will help make a legal case against the stalker.

To learn more about stalking or to access services that the DOVES Program offers, visit www.DOVESProgram.com.