Stalking Support

Stalking or harassment happen when someone repeatedly behaves in a way that makes you feel scared, threatened or distressed. Stalking is a form of harassment where the stalker caries out behaviours which are fixated, obsessive, unwanted and repeated. The types of behaviours which may up stalking are not prescribed instead the legislation contains examples of how stalking can take place.

Stalking can include:

• Following you
• Contacting you or trying to contact you in any way
• Publishing material about you or pretending to be you online or elsewhere
• Monitoring your internet use, emails or other electronic communications
• Loitering near places you go (whether public or private spaces)
• Interfering with your property
• Watching or spying on you

Stalking or harassment can happen online and through technology. This is called "cyberstalking". It can happen through social media, email, chat rooms and other online platforms.

Cyberstalking can include:

• Finding your personal information online
• Contacting you online
• Monitoring your online activity
• Identity theft, like signing you up for services or buying things in your name
• Damaging your reputation online
• Electronic sabotage, like sending spam or viruses
• Installing spyware or malware on your devices
• Getting other people online to harass or threaten you 

What is the MASC- Multi Agency Stalking Coordination Panel 

The Multi-Agency Stalking Coordination (MASC) group was launched on 16th June 2025 for Cumbria. This is a fortnightly multi-agency operational group which reviews medium and high-risk cases of Stalking which are not related to Domestic Abuse. 

Why introduce a MASC? 

A gap has been identified where to date, there has not been effective multi agency coordination of stalking cases which are not related to Domestic Abuse. Learning from other parts of the country show that significant harm can be prevented and reduced when key agencies share information at an early stage and work together. High risk stalking offending which is related to Domestic Abuse will continue to be managed through existing processes such as MARAC, MATAC and MAPPA. 

• Any agency can refer a case into the group. They should have completed the Stalking DASH risk assessment preferably with the victim or on behalf of the victim, provide full details of those involved and a summary of the circumstances of the case. 
• Referrals should be made at least 3 working days prior to the MASC to be heard at the next session. 
• The MASC should not prevent expected inter-agency working and safeguarding. Where urgent multi-agency information sharing or coordination is required, these should be progressed, rather than waiting for the next MASC. 
• Each referring agency will be invited to present cases which they have referred. 
• Each case will be assessed as to what has been done, and what needs to be done considering the following areas: