Today, the term stalker is loosely defined by impossible scenarios and comic relief. However, there are multiple occasions where the jokes lose their humor and a person can be unknowingly stalked by a potentially dangerous stranger.  According to the Cambridge English Dictionary, a stalker is someone who ​follows a ​person, usually ​intending to ​hurt that ​person.

“I think stalkers have always been there, people are just becoming more aware,” Jan Pieper, Lewis-Palmer campus security guard, stated. “I recommend being aware of who’s around you and avoiding anyone that’s following you or trying to get close to you. If you’re uncomfortable, make someone else aware.”

Most of the stalkers Pieper has seen have been students stalking other students because of a recent breakup. If the stalker is serious enough to cause uneasiness or endangers the victim, contacting the police is a highly recommended tactic.

“I had a couple students, they both had different situations, but kind of the same storyline. They started talking to other individuals they never met before online and once the students figured out who the strangers were, they tried to stop that situation from happening. The person tried to continue having some sort of connection with them though,” Cayla DeGeorge, Lewis-Palmer counselor, said. “One student met the stranger over Facebook, and the other met the stranger over another form of social media.”

Stalkers are not a new problem, but safety is still considered important. Our society is advised to be careful about what they post on social media because anything can be used against them. Phone numbers or even names can be gateways into somebody’s personal life and information.

“Perhaps one reason so many stalkers are around is that people are raised in different ways and some people could have been in really weird situations and encounters that could lead them down the path of being stalkers or kidnappers,” Adam Purdhomme, 9. “Though I have noticed a lot more amber alerts showing up recently in Colorado Springs. It’s not good and it’s kind of what people were doing even before technology.  If you do get in a situation where there is a stalker, you should handle the situation  with an adult.”

If someone is dealing with, or has dealt with a stalker, there are always people willing to help. Whether its a counselor or a fellow student, support is always found when needed at Lewis-Palmer.