The Cyber Helpline Teams up With Sussex Stalking Support
Building on its work to provide leading support for those experiencing cyberstalking & cyber-enabled stalking, The Cyber Helpline has partnered with Sussex Stalking Support (SSS). The alliance aims to improve support for victims of stalking and provide more effective expertise and insight into best practice dealing with cyberstalking.
Cyberstalking is a key issue for The Cyber Helpline with more than one fifth if its cases being either online harassment or cyberstalking. This has been a key focus for The Cyber Helpline team and partnership has proved an important strategy.
Sussex Stalking Support
Based in Brighton, Sussex Stalking Support provides stalking support services for advocacy, recovery and support across Sussex. It is one of the only organisations in the area specifically devoted to helping victims of stalking and are dedicated to raising awareness of the complex issues surrounding this crime. From peer support sessions to creative therapy groups, SSS provides ongoing trauma and support work to assist individual recovery.
This partnership opportunity came about through a mutual contact, namely Dr Emma Short at the National Centre for Cyberstalking Research at Bedfordshire University, who introduced Sam Taylor at Sussex Stalking Support to The Cyber Helpline’s CEO, Rory Innes. The Benefits of The Partnership in Supporting Cyberstalking Victims.
This is great news for victims of cyberstalking in Sussex, as it means they have access to both a cybersecurity expert who can tackle the online elements of the issue and also a stalking expert who can support with the wider stalking safety plan and offline elements.
There are also mutual benefits for both organisations including the sharing of knowledge, joint training, immediate access to specialist knowledge to deal with urgent online or offline threats and a joined-up approach to the development of new techniques for dealing with cyberstalking.
The partnership has enjoyed early successes with the two charities working jointly on a number of cases and referrals flowing between the two organisations.
Rory Innes said, “I am really excited by what this partnership means for cyberstalking victims in Sussex. We have deep expertise in cybersecurity and dealing with the online elements of cyberstalking, however, we are not stalking experts. This partnership will mean we can work as a team with stalking experts in Sussex and provide the best possible advice for victims.”
Sam Taylor, Founder at Sussex Stalking Support, said, “The opportunity to more effectively raise awareness of stalking and the cyber component it has is a vital benefit of the venture between the two non-profit organisations”. Taylor adds, “We believe the partnership will make us more effective in supporting victims of cyberstalking and the police tasked with tackling these crimes.”
Cyber Stalking Statistics: A Brief Snapshot
Cyberstalking and cyber-enabled stalking are issues that plague the lives of many innocent people. The number of cyberstalking cases in England and Wales is alarmingly high, with around 59,000 cases per year, according to a recent crime survey.
Cyberstalking has a profound and lasting impact on the mental health of victims. 91% of cyberstalking victims reported mental health problems following their ordeals, according to a pilot study produced by Sussex Stalking Support in conjunction with several other organisations, including the National Stalking Consortium. The pilot study also found that 78% of victims of stalking suffered symptoms consistent with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) while only 24% received an assessment for PTSD from a medical practitioner. The report entitled ‘Key Finding From A Pilot Study Into Health Care Responses To Stalking: Implications and Recommendations’ can be accessed here.
The Future For Cyber Stalking Victim Support
Executives at the two organisations are keen to further the scope of the partnership, and they are ambitious about developing a symbiotic relationship.
“I can see us expanding into providing joint services to stalking victims in future, developing new approaches to deal with cyberstalking, and supporting each other with training and development,” announced Rory Innes.
Sam Taylor expresses her excitement about the promises shown by the partnership: “We’re in the early stages of setting up clinics and hubs to support victims of stalking. Initially, these will take place in Sussex, but we hope to expand the reach.”
Also, in early stages of the coalition, headway has been made in the development of The Cyber Helpline’s Cyberstalking Action Plan with Sussex Stalking Support providing insight from their unique perspective.
Indeed, the sharing of expertise will prove invaluable in supporting victims and law enforcement organisations in dealing with cyberstalking and the profound impacts it has on victims.
Support Our Cause
The Cyber Helpline is funded entirely by donations from generous members of the public and businesses. Without these donations, we can not continue our vital work in supporting victims of cybercrime, including victims of cyberstalking. Help us to keep The Cyber Helpline running and providing support to victims of cybercrime by donating monthly.