Stalking: when attention becomes persecution
from the website of the President of the Council of Ministers – Department for Equal Opportunities
The attention that turns into obsession. Daily harassment, silent, difficult to spot and stop. And suspicion becomes fear, it erodes freedom to the point of forcing itself into a suffocating prison.
This is stalking: repeated surveillance behavior, control, pressing contact and threats that persistently invade a person's life to take away their peace and autonomy. These persecution behaviors take place for example through text messages, phone calls, stalking and stalking.
Persecutory acts are now a well-defined crime, punished with sentences ranging from six months to four years of imprisonment (art. 612 bus c.p.). The psychologist can provide psychological support and support in this case.
From the article on Violence against women (bora.la site)
What exactly is meant by violence against women? Is it just physical violence or other factors are involved? We talk about it with Dr. Ingrid Bersenda: “The phenomenon includes a wide range of women, it covers all the various social levels to some extent. Violence occurs mainly in the home, at the expense of husbands and / or partners,within relationships of trust.”
Dr. Bersenda explains to us that violence does not only mean sexual violence, but also physical violence and persecution which results in stalking. Moreover, there is very little talk of economic violence against women, often very common in the home. "There are phenomena in which the woman is forced to pay all her earnings into her husband's checking account. This means that he cannot use his money independently, of the fruit of his work. "
Therefore sexual violence is not necessarily the most serious. Psychological violence or economic violence also causes very similar suffering, touching the family and personal balance and causing often irreversible consequences such as low self-esteem. The interventions must be aimed at increasing the self-esteem and safety of the victims.
How to prevent violence against women? With awareness and prevention events, such as those organized by the Province of Trieste or by organizing cycles of films on violence. According to Dr. Bersenda, all these events raise public awareness of the importance of preventing the phenomenon and ensure that women who are abused do not feel alone and are not ashamed to ask for help.
“Targeted intervention can do a lot, can make the victim grow, who works on herself and can change the dynamics with her husband, to get out of the vicious circle ", states Dr. Bersenda, adding that “Not just victims, but also those who do violence, he needs help and psychological support. Furthermore, self-help groups can do a lot to ensure that the victim regains his or her well-being. "
