UT officials are trying to change that, said Jane Morgan Bost, associate director of the University's Counseling and Mental Health Center. Stalking is very underreported in terms of people really understanding what it is and the dangers of it. I don't have any quick fixes because this is an emerging area. Avoid all contact with the stalker. Carefully document all incidents.
Screen calls with a cassette-tape answering machine, and save harassing messages.
Alert friends, neighbors and co-workers, and provide a photograph of the stalker if possible. Use sensible personal safety measures, such as locking doors and windows, installing dark curtains and adequate lighting, and varying travel routes. Don't travel alone at night or in isolated areas. Contact victim assistance counselors with the police or the university. Bost was the principal investigator for a grant proposal that won the University a little more than half a million dollars from the Justice Department to combat violence against women on campus last October.