Harassment and Stalking

A stalker can generally be defined as someone who does something that is calculated to annoy or cause discomfort to another, or to threaten another with violence.

What Can Go Wrong? 

Examples of harassment and stalking include:

• following victims and waiting outside work premises or home address etc.
• making unsolicited telephone calls,
• sending letters and parcels
• sending e-mails
• repeat offensive comments through internet / social media accounts.

Control Measures and Responses

There are a number of options to deal with harassment or stalking, details of which may be obtained by contacting your local BBC Safety Advisor.

• If you become the subject of unwarranted attention, offensive internet trolling or other unwelcome intrusion into your private life, this must be reported to your employer, agent, or the police if appropriate at the earliest opportunity.
• All physical evidence must be retained in order to substantiate the instigation of appropriate legal action, and possible restraining procedures, at an early stage.
• If your work results in a high public profile you must ensure that any instance of pestering or stalking is reported in full to the BBC Investigation Service from the beginning, and on every subsequent occasion.
• Failure to act early will severely disadvantage you should the actions continue to a more intense stage.
• Co-operative action between the subject/victim and the BBC is to the advantage of both, if the cause of the unwelcome attention is due in any way to the nature of the victim's work.
• The actions of individuals who indulge in stalking and similar practices are extremely difficult to anticipate. They also often have a strong belief in the justification for what they are doing. This 'justification' is often beyond the comprehension of others and the most innocent of events can sometimes trigger unpredictable and violent behaviour.
• It is strongly recommended that, in the first instance, you refer any such incident to the BBC Security Investigation team (see Recommended Links), who will be able to offer you practical advice and, if appropriate and desired, will involve the police. Whether the police are to be involved or not is a matter that can be negotiated with those involved, but in any case the service is discreet and effective.
• To help avoid you or your contributor from becoming a victim of harassment, see our Personal Security Harassment checklist (Useful Documents) and our links to various Information Security guidance (Recommended Links (Gateway)).

Publicity

• Most people are able to conduct their lives without concerning themselves unduly about where and how information on their private details are held and, more importantly, who has access to that information.
• People with a high public profile, and/or engaged in programme making, such as board of management, production executives, presenters and journalists, may find it prudent to restrict the availability of their personal details such as home address and telephone numbers.
• A balance usually has to be struck between reducing risk to themselves, and not restricting their own freedoms. Avoid revealing details about your personal circumstances that could be used by a potential attacker.
• Examples of the kind of publicity that should be avoided are on the Personal Security Checklist. 

Division Specific Issues

• There are no known specific divisional issues. 

FAQs/Did You Know?

• BBC Security have produced a guide offering Stalking Advice for use by television/radio personalities, managers and staff on how to recognise acts of harassment and stalking, what to do about it, and where to get help.
• If working with child contributors and are concerned about the risks of abuse to them through internet / social media following their contribution to your programme, please see further information in our child protection model risk assessment (Recommended Links).