Read about our highlights and achievements in 2017!

January

Maximum prison sentences for stalkers were increased from five to ten years in January. We welcomed the introduction of longer stalking sentences, but highlighted the need for ongoing need for training for criminal justice professionals to ensure stalking was recognised and responded to properly.

February

Around Valentine’s Day, we called upon the dating industry to make it easier to report safety concerns. Our research found that a third of online daters had been concerned for their personal safety as a result of using dating websites or apps. However, over half of those who had been concerned never reported the incident to the dating provider.

March

This year’s National Personal Safety Awards were held on the 23rd March, just one day after the terrible attack at Westminster. This moving and inspirational event was organised to celebrate and recognise the hard work of individuals and groups who, through their work and commitment to personal safety, make a real contribution to keeping people safe.

April

For National Stalking Awareness Week, we released the results of a six-month study by the Homicide Research Group at the University of Gloucestershire: ‘Exploring the relationship between Stalking and Homicide’. The report highlighted the significant risks associated with stalking and why the crime should always be taken seriously.

May

May was a busy month for our personal safety training consultants, who travelled across the country, from Liverpool to Bristol, to train people on how to stay safe while lone working. We trained staff from many different industries, including local government, charities and property management.

June

In June we attended The Safety and Health Expo – the largest Health and Safety event in the UK. We co-located a stand with lone worker safety provider Solo Protect and used the event to raise awareness of personal safety and our training courses. We also had three speaking slots: our policy officer Saskia attended a panel discussion on lone working and presented Suzy’s Code on personal safety, and our training consultant Geoff presented a case study on Danone and the ways companies can create a culture of personal safety within their organisation.

July

Our amazing fundraisers, Carmel, Helen, Niamh and Emma ran the British 10k to support us. Together, they managed to raise over £2000 to help people live life to the full.

August

By August, we had supported over 75 young people on our ‘Keeping Myself Safe’ course. The training aims to improve young people’s personal safety by introducing them to simple ways to assess and react to risks. We’re looking forward to reaching more young people with our training in 2018!

September

In September, we found out that we had secured funding for intervention work with perpetrators of stalking from the Police Transformation Fund. The initiative, which is the first of its kind worldwide, will start in 2018 and aims to improve responses to stalking through rehabilitative treatment for stalkers. Ultimately, it is hoped that working with perpetrators can help to make victims of stalking safer.

October

This year’s National Personal Safety Day focused on safety in taxis and private hire vehicles. After our research revealed that some people were unsure about the difference between taxis and private hire vehicles, we shared practical personal safety tips to help people increase confidence and improve safety when using these forms of transport.

November

We began our campaign in support of Stalking Protection Orders. Ahead of the Bill’s second reading, we’re asking people to contact their MP and ask them to be in parliament on the 19^th of January so that the Bill passes through to the next stage. You can still ask your MP to improve responses to stalking by sending your MP the letter on our website.

December

In 2017, the National Stalking Helpline communicated with over 4,000 people. Through telephone, email and advocacy work, our helpline operators made a real difference to stalking victims. We also received wonderful feedback from clients who we spoke to:

“I was taken seriously. The person I spoke to listened to every detail I told them and gave me a clear interpretation of my situation legally, and in terms of the common behaviour of stalkers. I felt supported and with tangible things I could do.”