Stalking

Idaho Legal Aid Provides Confidential Legal Help to Stalking Survivors:

Stalking is a pattern of behavior directed at a specific person that would cause a reasonable person to fear for their life or to fear physical injury of themselves or a family or household member. 

--OR--

Stalking is also a pattern of behavior that is directed at a specific person that would cause a reasonable person to suffer substantial emotional distress.  For example, if the behavior seriously alarms, annoys, or harasses a person, it may be considered stalking.

How Many Incidents Create a Pattern of Behavior?

A pattern of behavior may be as few as two incidents of stalking.

What Kind of Behavior Could Be Considered “Stalking?”

Stalking can include a wide variety of acts but some acts may be: unwanted phone calls, texts, or contact via social media; unwanted gifts; showing up uninvited to a person’s work, home, or friends or family members’ homes; approaching an individual or his/her friends or family without permission; monitoring your behavior, either in-person or electronically; damaging your property; and/or threating you or your family members.

What if the Behavior is Not Scary to Anyone Else?

Reasonable fear depends on context and circumstances. In many stalking cases, the behavior of the perpetrator is only scary to the person being stalked because their knowledge of the stalker makes it scary.

For example, if a person moves and does not reveal their new address or location to their ex-boyfriend or girlfriend, but then that person receives a gift of flowers from that person – this may be terrifying and threatening if the person believed they were safe at their new home and that the stalker could not find them.

Important Information to Know:

Anyone can be a target for stalking behavior.  You may be targeted by someone you know or a stranger at any time in your life. 

We will protect your privacy. 

We provide services to all survivors of stalking, regardless of age, gender, race, ethnicity, religion, geography, immigration status, ability, appearance, sexual orientation, and gender identity.

You do not need to report the stalking to the police to get our help.

Possible Legal Needs We Can Assist With:

We do not provide criminal public defender services, but we can provide civil legal help to survivors of stalking, such as the following:

• Planning for personal safety at home, work, or school
• Applying for a civil protection order
• Filing for divorce or custody of your child(ren)
• Transferring to a different school, class, or other educational accommodations
• Keeping medical, mental health, and education records private
• Terminating a lease, getting a perpetrator off a lease, or fighting an eviction or discrimination
• Applying for unemployment benefits, food stamps, Medicaid, or Social Security disability
• Applying for crime victim compensation if a criminal case is pending
• Fighting payday loans, hospital bills, or other creditors
• Fighting identity theft
• Staying in the U.S. if you are undocumented
• Representing you regarding your participation as a witness in a criminal prosecution of the perpetrator
• Discrimination or other employment issues
• Representation related to a college or university sexual misconduct (Title IX) proceeding
• Services related to privacy concerns, such as enrollment in Idaho's Address Confidentiality Program

With funding from the Office on Violence Against Women, Idaho Legal Aid Services has created the Rural Idaho Survivor Assistance Fund to support and advocate for survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault, dating violence, or stalking. Survivors of violence often need a network of support to help them achieve safety, and we hope to use these funds to help survivors access services that may otherwise be out of reach. If you believe you may benefit from this fund, and want to see if you qualify, please let us know when you contact our hotline.