By C. Dobson Normal 0 false false false EN-US X-NONE X-NONE Despite many years of effort by activists, lawmakers, courts, and news media, discrimination against women persists. Domestic violence, stalking, sexual harassment, and economic inequality have not abated. Now there is a new form of abuse directed at women in the form of criminal group-stalking (also called gang-stalking), comprised of repeated covert home entries, vandalism, harassment, surveillance, and cybercrime, all designed to destabilize the victim emotionally. Studies show that older women, who live alone, perhaps on their own property, are the victims of group-stalking. They report covert break-ins to their homes and vandalism directed at the homes and automobiles or other property, plus abuse or interference with their pets. Further the women’s defenses against intruders, including alarms, cameras and locks, are said to be disabled. Harassment includes surveillance, inside the woman’s home and automobile. Outside, vandalism occurs, fireworks explode at night, and rocks or other objects are thrown at the house. Privacy and a woman’s sense of being safe in her own home are under attack. Away from home, while shopping, socializing or working, women are subjected to other harassment, including coordinated in-person stalking by more than one individual, surveillance and having their photographs taken. Stalkers create scenarios in public that are embarrassing to the woman, and they start rumors about her personal or business affairs, in order to try to ruin her reputation. Women have even reported health-related “dirty tricks,” including cancellation of their medical appointments and theft of medical prescriptions by criminals who visit pharmacies to engage in identity theft in order to steal. Harassment also takes the form of varied cyber-crimes, especially interference with internet accounts and hacking of cell phones and computers. The effect of group-stalking, which creates stress in so many areas of life, can be intense, leading to suspicion, self-isolation, and mental instability, even to loss of friends and relationships. When a woman tells others of the stalking, she may meet with skepticism, part of the group-stalkers’ plan to discredit, sabotage and harass her. Even law enforcement has been slow to acknowledge that group-stalking occurs. The woman victimized by group-stalkers needs help. If you think you have been targeted as described above, or you know someone else who has been targeted by group-stalkers, it is important to take steps to find a support system in order to safeguard life and sanity. For more information and tips on being safe, visit the website: womenunderattack.com, which deals specifically with group-stalking of women.