What to do when they won’t stop bothering you, and what to do if you happen to be that crazy person

“You have 23 new messages. First message:”

“Hey, just wanted to see what was going o-”

“Message deleted, next message:”

“Hey, I just want to talk, so give me a ca-”

“Message deleted, next message…”

If you happen to find yourself going through a full mailbox or call list from the same person, it may turn out that they have a severe case of obsession, and it ain’t healthy for anyone. According to University Police, there are currently several ongoing investigations surrounding stalking and other obsessive behaviors. It’s more common than you believe, but there are steps you can take to get such attitudes to cease. We all have exams and papers due in the next few weeks, and no one needs the burden of having someone taking away someone’s sense of privacy and security.

Having recently seen the effects of such behavior and its impact on a person’s life, I strongly encourage anyone who is going through such a situation to let other people know: Your best defense is to make sure that others are aware of a person’s odd and obsessive behavior. Your friends are more than willing to look out for you, and if the time comes, they will back you up to the authorities. People who are bizarre enough to spend all of their free time chasing after someone, are bizarre enough to do something crazier. It may seem benign and that you can just keep avoiding the calls, but very often, people like that aren’t going away, as it was explained to me by a VCU police officer involved in a current investigation.

If you tell someone to leave you alone, and they don’t, they are violating your privacy and your freedom. Let others know about someone who violates your privacy in such a way because it bolsters your case to make the first move and alert others to the potential danger. It may be embarrassing, but like many other problems, it’s best to nip these kind of issues in the bud before they bloom into much larger and more sophisticated dilemmas.

Lastly, if you happen to be that crazy person: Dude, cut that stuff out. Nothing is more disturbing to people than someone who pines unabashedly for another person who has clearly told them he or she isn’t interested. On one hand, you’ll end up looking like a huge idiot to everyone on campus, because trust me, word travels fast on this condensed microcosm of college society, and soon we’re all going to flag you as the creepy person. On the other hand, continuing such behavior could precipitate many unwanted consequences: Harassing people is a crime, bothering them will not make them love you, and it will not even work to make them like you anymore. If someone doesn’t return three calls you made last night, he or she is probably not going to call you back, either because the phone is not presently on them or because they really don’t feel like talking to you at this point. Why would you pursue someone who really isn’t that into you in the first place? Right, there is no reason. Do yourself a favor, and leave them alone.