Written by By Staff Writer
Are you being stalked or are you paranoid?
These are crucial questions and should be taken seriously, say experts.
CNN spoke to Heidi Richter, founder of the interactive online game Stranger Danger.
“If a person is stalking, that person has a strong compulsion to stalk,” Richter said. “You may not be doing anything wrong, but they have a compulsion to stalk you.”
To be considered a “stranger danger” offender, a person must not just successfully harass but also stalk, not sexually assault and not use violence.
Richter says a person who has “lived in the shadows” for years and feels invisible will not have that threshold, saying, “They are not trusting, they don’t have a lot of exposure.”
Those feeling stalked should report it to the local police immediately and stay positive with the police if there is any further information to share.
Richter says sharing what you know will help law enforcement become aware of other possible victims.
“You’ll have an immediate beneficial effect,” she said.
While stalkers sometimes intimidate people into silence by showing pictures and stories of what could happen to their loved ones, that should not work with dating apps and dating websites.
“I think people overestimate how many lives you can get hurt by one person,” Richter said.
For online dating and dating app users, Richter suggests getting to know the person before agreeing to a date.
“Find out what does this person do for a living,” she said. “Does this person need your approval?”
Once dating, Richter advises people to use their discretion with new matches and “help someone else out,” even if they have a creepy “sneaky” friend with them.