National Stalking Awareness Month Speaker

January is National Stalking Awareness Month and in conjunction with this, the Office of Equity and Inclusion, along with the Gender Based Harassment and Violence Prevention Committee, will be hosting Debbie Riddle to promote the awareness of stalking on college campuses. Riddle’s sister Peggy Klinke was stalked by an ex-boyfriend, Patrick Kennedy, who murdered Klinke in 2003 after a year of escalating stalking behaviors. Her murder led to a congressional briefing and declaration of National Stalking Awareness month celebrated every January.

Riddle has dedicated the last 12 years of her life to spreading awareness of stalking behavior and the ways it can turn violent. Riddle points to a U.S. Department of Justice survey that shows 13 percent of female students on college campuses experience stalking behavior that causes the victim to fear for her safety. Women are nearly three times more likely than men to be stalked, and young people ages 18 to 24 experience the highest rates of stalking. Debbie will begin with a large group presentation which will cover information and statistics about stalking, as well as warning signs, bystander efforts, and campus resources. She will also be showing the short documentary about her sister’s story which was originally aired on Lifetime and narrated by Erin Brockovich. The presentation will conclude with any Q&A.

The presentation will also be streamed to Lake Campus.