Why Is This a Threat? (Stalking Awareness Month)

A note that says “I love you”… For many, it’s a tender message. But for someone escaping intimate partner violence, finding this note—written in their abusive partner’s handwriting—on their workplace desk or the door of their new apartment can be a chilling sign: their stalker has found them and plans to continue the abuse.

As we enter a New Year, it’s a time for reflection, growth, and setting intentions. It’s also an important opportunity to raise awareness about the realities of stalking—a crime that is traumatic, dangerous, and often misunderstood. January is Stalking Awareness Month, highlighting the urgent need to address stalking and its connection to intimate partner homicide, also known as femicide—a form of violence aptly described as “homicide in slow motion.”

• 76% of intimate partner femicide victims were stalked by their partner.
• 67% experienced physical abuse before being killed.
• 89% of those physically assaulted were also stalked in the 12 months before their murder.
• 79% of abused femicide victims reported being stalked while experiencing abuse.
• 54% reported stalking to the police before being murdered.

In 2021, Statistics Canada reported a fifth consecutive yearly rise in police-reported family violence, reaching 127,082 victims. On average, a woman is killed by her intimate partner every six days. Criminal harassment rose by 10% over two years, while indecent and harassing communications surged by 29% since 2019.

At BWSS, we work with survivors of violence every day. Many women, girls, and gender-diverse people accessing our services are navigating the profound impacts of stalking, past or present. This is why we prioritize addressing stalking while supporting survivors on their path to safety—because safety changes everything.