What Is a Stalking Resource Center? Tools, Information, and Help

What Is a Stalking Resource Center?

A stalking resource center is an organization or website that focuses on stalking and the people it affects. Most share the same core purposes.

• Education. They explain what stalking is, how the law treats it, and how to recognize warning signs.
• Practical tools. They offer checklists, planning aids, and templates that help people organize evidence and make decisions.
• Referrals. They point people to the agencies and services that can act, such as police, courts, victim services, and mental health providers.
• Research and data. They summarize what national surveys and studies show.
• Advocacy. They speak for victims in conversations about policy and practice.

A resource center is different from other services you may need. It is not law enforcement, which investigates crimes. It is not a court, which issues orders. It is not a crisis hotline or emergency service. And it does not provide legal representation. Think of it as a trustworthy front door: a place that helps you understand your situation and find the right door next.

What Stalking.org Offers

Stalking.org describes itself as the National Stalking Resource Center, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit dedicated to providing free, accessible safety tools to victims of harassment and cyberstalking. The site brings together several kinds of resources.

• Free safety tools that run in your browser.
• Guides on understanding stalking, protection, reporting on social media, and reporting in every state.
• A blog with in-depth articles on laws, evidence, digital safety, and warning signs.
• Facts and research summaries based on government data.
• Survivor stories that show how stalking is experienced and resolved.
• Position statements and a media room for journalists, researchers, and partners.
• A data removal request service for pages that expose personal information.

The sections below walk through each of these.

The Free Safety Tools

Every tool on Stalking.org is free, and each runs entirely in your browser. Nothing you type is transmitted to our servers or stored, so your answers exist only on your own device.

• [Risk Assessment](/#risk-assessment). Five questions based on criminology research that estimate your threat level and suggest next steps. Use it when you are unsure how seriously to take what is happening.
• [Safety Plan](/#safety-plan). Turns a few answers into a discreet, printable action plan with a safe contact, a code word, a safe place, and a go-bag list.
• [Evidence Auditor](/#evidence-audit). A four-point checklist that tells you whether your screenshots and records are ready for police or court.
• [Police Report tool](/#police-tools). Helps you structure your evidence and statement into a clear, formal report and find the right agency.
• [TRO Builder](/#tro-tool). Helps you organize your facts for a protection order request.
• [Data Broker Removal](/data-broker-removal/). Direct opt-out links and pre-written removal text for the biggest people-search sites.
• [Safety Audit](/#generator). A quick checklist to confirm that your accounts and devices are locked down.

If you only have time for one, start with the Risk Assessment and the Safety Plan.

Guides and the Reference Library

Beyond the tools, Stalking.org maintains guides that are designed to be read, saved, and shared.

• [Understanding Stalking Guide](/guide/). A plain-language introduction to what stalking is, the behaviors involved, and how to respond. A downloadable PDF version is available.
• [Protection Guide](/protection-guide/). Scenario-based guidance for 100 real-world situations, from workplaces and campuses to neighbors, online dating, and moving. It is also available as a PDF.
• [State Reporting Guide](/state-reporting/). Official contacts and protective order information for each state, drawn from government sources.
• [Social Media Reporting Guide](/reporting-social-media/). Step-by-step instructions for reporting stalking and harassment on major platforms, also available as a PDF.
• [Facts & Research](/stalking-facts-research/). Summaries of national data and studies.
• [Survivor Stories](/survivor-stories/). Experiences shared by people who have been stalked.

Who Uses a Stalking Resource Center

Different people come to the same page with different needs. Here is how each group can use it.

• People being stalked. Start with the tools, then read the Protection Guide and your state's reporting guide.
• Friends and family. Learn how to support someone without escalating the situation. Read how to help someone who is being stalked.
• Students. Use the campus scenarios in the Protection Guide and learn about reporting options.
• Employers and HR teams. Learn what to do when an employee is stalked and how to protect schedules and locations.
• Parents. Understand how stalking and harassment can affect children and teens, and how to document and report.
• Older adults and caregivers. Review elder abuse warning signs and the overlap between stalking, scams, and exploitation.
• Journalists and researchers. Use Facts & Research and the Media Room for sourced figures and contacts.
• People concerned about their own behavior. Read stalking treatment options for people who can't stop.

If You Have Five Minutes, One Hour, or One Week

You don't have to do everything at once. Match your effort to your time.

Five minutes. Take the Risk Assessment, and write down the date and a one-line description of the most recent incident. If you are in danger, call 911.

One hour. Create a Safety Plan, save screenshots of recent contact with dates visible, and secure your email password. Then read what stalking is.

One week. Follow a daily plan: gather evidence, tighten account security, remove information from people-search sites, report to platforms, and file a police report. Our help for online stalking article lays out a seven-day schedule.

How to Use the Resource Center Safely

If someone is monitoring your devices or accounts, reading about stalking can put you at risk. Take sensible precautions.

• Use a safe device, such as a library computer or a phone the stalker has never touched.
• Know the Quick Escape button. It leaves the page immediately. Your browser history may still record the visit, so clear it on shared devices.
• Use a separate email address for safety planning that the stalker doesn't know.
• Don't save sensitive files to cloud accounts the stalker can access.
• Print your safety plan and store it somewhere safe, or give a copy to a trusted person.
• Trust your instincts. If the stalker seems to know what you've been researching, stop and use a different device.

Read electronic stalking for signs that a device may be monitored.

What a Resource Center Is Not

Being clear about limits helps you get the right help.

• It isn't an emergency service. Stalking.org is not a crisis hotline. In an emergency, call 911. If you are in distress or having thoughts of suicide, call or text 988.
• It isn't law enforcement. We can't investigate, arrest, or issue protection orders. Our tools help you prepare to work with the people who can.
• It doesn't provide legal advice. Our content is general information. Consult a qualified attorney about your case.
• It doesn't promise outcomes. No tool or website can stop a stalker. The goal is to help you document, protect yourself, and report.

Official Government Resources to Use Alongside Us

The best results come from combining a resource center with official channels.

• Office for Victims of Crime. The Help in Your State directory lists victim assistance and compensation programs by state.
• FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center. File an internet crime complaint at IC3.
• Federal Trade Commission. Report identity misuse at IdentityTheft.gov.
• Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency. Learn account security basics at Secure Our World.
• Bureau of Justice Statistics and CDC. Read the underlying data in Stalking Victimization, 2019 and the NISVS stalking data brief.
• 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline. Call or text 988 for emotional support.

How the 50-State Reporting Guides Work

Stalking law and reporting procedures differ by state, so our State Reporting Guide is organized state by state. Each guide is built from government sources and covers the same practical elements.

• Emergency and non-emergency contacts for state law enforcement.
• Statewide agencies, such as attorney general victim services and victim compensation programs.
• How reporting works locally, including police, sheriffs, and prosecutors.
• The names and requirements of protective orders available for stalking.
• A step-by-step outline of reporting and getting an order.
• Specialized support, such as child and adult protective services.

Because phone numbers, forms, and procedures change, each guide tells you to verify details with the agency. Read report stalking in your state to see how to use them.

Understanding Stalking: Where to Start Reading

If you are new to the topic, these articles give a solid foundation.

1. What is stalking? The definition and legal elements.
2. Who stalks and how long it lasts. Offender patterns and duration.
3. Stalking warning signs and violence risk. How to recognize escalation.
4. Course of conduct in stalking. Why patterns matter.
5. Evidence that holds up in court. What to save and how.
6. Understanding stalking laws. State and federal frameworks.
7. The complete guide to digital safety. Securing accounts and devices.
8. How to build a safety plan. Planning before an emergency.

For the big picture in one place, read Stalking: The Complete Guide.

How to Evaluate Any Stalking Resource Center

Not every site that uses the words "stalking resource center" is the same. Before you rely on one, check a few things.

• Ownership and mission. You should be able to find who runs it and why. Stalking.org publishes its about page, mission and advocacy, leadership and governance, and financial information.
• Sources. Look for claims backed by government agencies, courts, and research, not unsourced assertions.
• Privacy. Read how the site handles your data. Tools that run in your browser reduce risk.
• Accuracy and dates. Laws change, so look for updated content.
• Accessibility. The site should be usable on a phone, with clear language, and with a quick exit.
• Honesty about limits. Be wary of any site that promises to stop a stalker or find someone for you.

Staying Informed and Supporting the Work

You can stay connected and help others find these resources.

• Subscribe to the Safety Alert Newsletter in the site footer for updates.
• Share the tools and guides with friends, schools, workplaces, and community groups. Sharing a link can be a lifeline for someone who isn't ready to ask for help.
• Read the latest research on our Facts & Research page and position statements.
• Contact us with corrections, questions, or partnership ideas through the Contact Us page.
• Support the mission. Free tools take time and resources to maintain. You can donate from the site, or explore careers at the organization.

How the Tools Fit Together: A Typical Workflow

The tools are designed to be used in sequence, though you can use any of them on its own. Here is how a typical person might move through them.

1. Orient yourself with the Risk Assessment. The five questions help you decide how urgent your situation is. If the result suggests high concern, you will know to prioritize safety planning and reporting right away. If it suggests lower concern, you can take a more measured approach while you keep documenting.
2. Build the Safety Plan. A plan turns worry into action. It identifies a safe person, a code word, a safe location, and the essentials you would need to leave quickly. Print it or share it with someone you trust, because a plan on a monitored device may not be safe.
3. Audit your digital life with the Safety Audit. Securing accounts and devices closes the easiest doors a stalker might use. Work from a safe device and save evidence before you remove anything that might alert the person.
4. Collect evidence and check it with the Evidence Auditor. As incidents happen, save them the way a prosecutor would want to see them: with dates, sender details, and context. The auditor tells you whether your records are complete.
5. Reduce your exposure with Data Broker Removal. Remove your address and phone number from the biggest people-search sites, and repeat every few months.
6. Prepare to report with the Police Report tool. Turn your timeline and evidence into a structured statement, and identify the agency that handles your area.
7. Consider legal protection with the TRO Builder. If you want to ask a court for an order, organize your facts clearly before you file.

You don't have to follow this order, and you don't have to finish every step. Even completing two or three of them puts you in a stronger position than when you started.

Common Situations and Which Resource to Use First

People often arrive with a specific problem. This list matches common situations to the best starting point.

• "I think someone is following me or watching me." Take the Risk Assessment, make a Safety Plan, and read stalking without words: following and tracking.
• "I keep getting messages from new accounts." Read how to report online stalking and use the Social Media Reporting Guide.
• "My ex knows where I live." Make a Safety Plan, remove your address with Data Broker Removal, and read recognizing intimate partner violence.
• "My address or workplace was posted online." Read what to do about doxxing and submit a Web Data Removal Request.
• "I want to go to the police but don't know what to say." Use the Police Report tool and read how to report a stalker to the police.
• "I want a protection order." Read protection against stalking, use the TRO Builder, and check your state's guide.
• "A coworker or classmate won't leave me alone." Open the Protection Guide for workplace and campus scenarios.
• "I'm not sure it counts as stalking." Read what stalking is and when unwanted contact becomes stalking.

What to Expect After You Use the Tools

Using these tools will not make a stalker stop, and it is important to be realistic about that. What they will do is give you a clearer picture of your situation, a plan you can act on, and records that agencies can work with.

Many people feel a mix of relief and anxiety afterward. Relief, because they have taken concrete steps. Anxiety, because they have been confronted with how serious the situation may be. Both reactions are normal. Share your plan with someone you trust, and consider talking to a counselor. If you feel overwhelmed, call or text 988.

Keep updating your materials. A safety plan is a living document, and a log of incidents grows more valuable with every entry. Come back to the tools whenever your situation changes.

Why Resource Centers Exist: The Gap They Fill

Most people who are stalked never contact police. The Bureau of Justice Statistics found that only 29% of victims reported stalking to police in 2019, and about 16% contacted a victim service provider. Many people are unsure whether what is happening "counts," don't know where to go, or are worried they won't be believed. A resource center fills the gap between "something feels wrong" and "I'm ready to report."

It does that by lowering the barriers to taking a first step. A person can read a guide in private, answer a few questions without giving their name, and print a plan, all before deciding whether to talk to anyone. That privacy matters, because many victims need time to understand their situation before they involve other people.

A resource center can't make the decision for you. It can make sure you have the information, tools, and options to make it yourself.

Sources and further reading

• Help in Your State (Office for Victims of Crime)
• FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3)
• Stalking Victimization, 2019 (Bureau of Justice Statistics)
• CDC: NISVS 2023/2024 Stalking Data Brief (Sept. 2025)
• SAMHSA: In Crisis? Find Help Now (988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline)
• IdentityTheft.gov (Federal Trade Commission)
• Secure Our World (CISA)