20/05/2026
Overt stalking behaviours are often the ones people recognise first, because they are visible, repeated, and difficult to ignore.
They can include things like:
Following someone in public or between locations
Turning up uninvited at home, work, school, or social spaces
Repeated unwanted calls, messages, or gifts
Waiting outside places someone regularly goes
Direct threats, intimidation, or confrontational behaviour
These actions can feel intrusive, frightening, and relentless. They remove a person’s sense of privacy and control over their own daily life.
But overt stalking isn’t just about what happens in the moment, it’s about the pattern behind it. When someone repeatedly shows up where they are not wanted, ignores boundaries, or continues contact after being told to stop, it becomes a serious form of intrusion.
The impact can be significant:
Changing routines to avoid someone
Feeling unsafe in familiar places
Constantly looking over your shoulder
Feeling unable to relax in your own environment
Overt stalking is not attention. It is not care. It is not harmless persistence.
It is behaviour that crosses boundaries and creates fear.
If this is happening to you, or someone you know, it is important to take it seriously, report it and seek support.
