Hey, this is Bridget, and this is Annie, and you're listening to Stuff Mom Never Told You.

Now, today, we want to dive into a topic that you probably already have some first-hand

knowledge of.

It's probably seen it on TV, seen it in movies, or at least heard about those movies, and

that is stalking.

Now, we all know stalking is no joke, but then why do we always see stalking in romantic

comedies or in light-hearted movies, and it's supposed to be portrayed as funny or sweet

or endearing?

Right.

It is such a common trope.

And it's common as a problem, a real-life problem in the United States, right, Bridget?

Yeah, it is really common.

According to John Carroll University, one in six women and one in 19 men in the United

States have experienced stalking during their lifetime, and about 43% of stalking victims

said that they went to the police at least once regarding the stalking.

Yeah, and unfortunately, it's really difficult to report or prosecute, no matter where you

are.

15% of American women just accept being stalked as a fact of life, and 3% to report their

stalker to the police over 15 times, and nothing gets done.

The effectiveness of restraining orders is up for debate, too, because specifically

in cases of stalking, the stalker might see it as a challenge or a betrayal, and up

to 70 to 80% of the time, they violate the restraining order the stalker does.

...