“And Stalking”: Why Stalking Still Gets Overlooked on Campus

Описание: In this timely and necessary episode of Title IX Insider, Dr. Sandi sits down with Dana Fleitman, Senior Training and Awareness Specialist at SPARC (the Stalking Prevention, Awareness, and Resource Center), to confront one of the most consistently misunderstood and minimized forms of harm in higher education: stalking.

Too often, stalking is treated as an add-on—“and stalking”—instead of recognized as what it actually is: an intentional pattern of behavior that can escalate, destabilize a student’s life, and undermine safety long before a case looks “serious enough” on paper.

This conversation goes beyond awareness slogans and surface-level definitions. Together, Dr. Sandi and Dana break down what stalking is, how it differs from harassment, why people use those terms interchangeably, and why that confusion can cost students time, safety, and access to support.

Dana explains how stalking often shows up through behavioral categories discussed in the episode, including surveillance, life invasion, intimidation, and interference through sabotage or attack. They also unpack why context matters: the potential for harm, the role of threats (including when threats are implied rather than explicit), and why intent and pattern are the center of the analysis—not a single isolated incident.

What We Cover in This Episode

Why stalking gets overlooked in Title IX work and campus response systems

What SPARC stands for and how SPARC supports campuses nationwide

What stalking is: definitions, behavioral patterns, and “course of conduct”

Harassment vs. stalking: why the distinction matters for response and documentation

What campuses should do earlier: education, screening, services, and support pathways

Why campuses cannot wait until students feel they can “prove” stalking

How surveillance, life invasion, intimidation, and interference behaviors show up in real cases

Why stalking is not always dating: former intimate partners vs. acquaintances or strangers

Trauma-informed response: why Title IX coordinators and campus partners need to step in

Resources and tools discussed in the episode

SPARC is funded by the Department of Justice, Office on Violence Against Women. The opinions, findings, conclusions, and recommendations expressed in this program are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Department of Justice.

Chapters
00:00 And Stalking
00:66 Introduction Guest and Organization
01:48 Title IX Emphasis on Stalking
03:59 What Is Stalking
11:30 What Campuses Should Do
19:21 Understanding Stalking to Help Students
29:54 Stalking Is Not Always Dating
32:55 Trauma-Informed Response
37:38 Resources

#TitleIXInsider #TitleIX #CampusSafety #StalkingAwareness #StalkingPrevention #HigherEd #StudentAffairs #ViolencePrevention #TraumaInformed #CleryAct #VAWA #SPARC #T9CG #TitleIXConsultingGroup