If you love Scentsy you can order throughout the month of March and help Jodi’s Voice.

Jodi’s cousin & aunt are distributors and are donating the profits to help us #fightstalking.

Of course taking a class with an expert is always best, but here are a few videos we put together to get you  in the mood to sign-up for a class.
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=ZrZieC3ysyk
Learning self-defense can not only give you back the confidence that you can protect yourself, but unlike other defense forms it cannot be used against you.

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=lc8sgHmbnDw

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=H2JIg-Mh6IA

Wrist hold

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=Vl7ixKzCkUk

Choke holds

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=yAm1WdFTqKQ

Bear Hug

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=gPa8suua22Q

If you teach self-defense and would like to offer free or low-cost classes to stalking victims who have previously filed police reports please email us at selfdefense at jodisvoice dot org.

Online directories can be a place stalkers use to locate their victims.  Here is a partial list of online directories and their opt-out pages.

1-800-US-Search

Terms of Service: http://www.ussearch.com/consumer/commerce/about/terms.jsp
Privacy Policy: http://www.ussearch.com/consumer/commerce/about/privacy.jsp

123 People

Terms of Service: http://www.123people.com/page/tos
Privacy Policy: http://www.123people.com/page/reputation
Opt-Out: Partial. Some data comes from Intelius (opting out of Intelius may result in removing some information from 123 People).

555-1212.com - Opt-Out: http://www.555-1212.com/about/opt-out/

99 Lists (see Intelius) - Opt-Out: http://www.intelius.com/privacy-faq.php#5

A1 People Search

Partial Opt-Out in privacy policy
Privacy Policy: http://www.a1peoplesearch.com/Privacy.aspx

Accurint (Seisint) - Opt-Out: Partial http://www.lexisnexis.com/privacy/for-consumers/opt-out-of-lexisnexis.aspx

Acxiom

Terms of Service: http://www.acxiom.com/about_us/privacy/Pages/Privacy.aspx
Privacy Policy: http://www.acxiom.com/about_us/privacy/Pages/Privacy.aspx

Address Search - Opt-Out: http://www.addresssearch.com/remove-info.php

Address.com

Terms of Service: http://www.address.com/terms
Privacy Policy: http://www.address.com/privacy

Ameridex - Opt-Out:  http://ameridex.com/newp.php

Ancestry (also Ancestry.ca, Ancestry.co.uk, Genealogy.com, familytreemaker.com, genealogylibrary.com, Myfamily.com, RootsWeb.com)

Opt-Out: Email customersolutions@ancestry.com your request for removal. Include in the email: your email address, the URL address to the page in which the information appears, and specify what you would like to have removed. You will be asked to provide a copy of government issued identification.

Any Who (part of AT&T)

Terms of Service: http://www.att.com/gen/general?pid=11561
Privacy Policy: http://www.att.com/gen/privacy-policy?pid=2506

Archives - Online Opt-Out form: http://www.archives.com/ga.aspx?_act=Optout

Aristotle - Opt-Out: Email remove@aristotle.com

Background Check

Terms of Service: http://www.background.com/terms-of-service/
Privacy Policy: http://www.background.com/privacy-policy

Background Record Finder (affiliated with Intelius) - Opt-Out: Unverified Intelius – http://www.intelius.com/privacy-faq.php#5

BeenVerified Opt-out: http://www.beenverified.com/faq

Birth Records – Opt-out: http://www.birth-records.com/index.php?xpath=lp_optout

BlockShopper - Opt-Out:  http://www.blockshopper.com/faq.html#q4

Cell Phone Registry – Opt-out: http://cellphoneregistry.com/index.php?xpath=lp_optout

Check Mate LLC - Opt-Out: email support@instantcheckmate.com with “Opt-Out” in the Subject line and include your full name, DOB and address as it is listed on their website and they will remove it in 24-48 hours.
CIS Nationwide

Terms of Service: http://cisnationwide.com/terms.html
Privacy Policy: http://cisnationwide.com/privacy.html

Civil Records.org

Terms of Service: http://civilrecords.org/index.php?xpath=terms
Privacy Policy: http://civilrecords.org/index.php?xpath=privacy

Complete Background Checks

Terms of Service: http://www.completebackgroundchecks360.com/terms.html
Privacy Policy: http://www.completebackgroundchecks360.com/privacy.html

Court Records

Terms of Service: http://www.courtrecords.org/index.php?xpath=terms
Privacy Policy: http://www.courtrecords.org/index.php?xpath=privacy

Court Registry

Terms of Service: http://courtregistry.org/index.php?records_state=&xpath=terms
Privacy Policy: http://courtregistry.org/index.php?xpath=privacy

DA Plus AKA: Directory Assistance Plus (source of data is InfoUSA, Inc.) - Opt-Out:  http://www.daplus.us/remove.aspx?key=6573AF265715C4120B391FBD9DE3507A

DEX Media (DEX online, DEX Knows, DEX pages)

Terms of Service: http://www.dexknows.com/info/site_use.asp
Privacy Policy: http://www.dexknows.com/info/privacy_policy.asp

If you know of other databases tracking information, please email the opt-out information to getoffthegrid at jodisvoice dot org and we will share the updates with other stalking victims.

Obama proclaimed January 2012 to be National Stalking Awareness Month.  Please help us spread the word! (On Twitter? Please use the hashtag #fightstalking).  Awareness to key to making a difference.  People cannot care about a topic they do not understand!

BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

A PROCLAMATION

In our schools and in our neighborhoods, at home and in workplaces across our Nation, stalking endangers the physical and emotional well being of millions of American men and women every year. Too often, stalking goes unreported and unaddressed, and we must take action against this unacceptable abuse. This month, we stand with all those who have been affected by stalking and strengthen our resolve to prevent this crime before it occurs.

Stalkers inspire fear through intimidation, explicit or implied threats, and nonconsensual communication often by telephone, text message, or email that can cause severe emotional and physical distress. Many victims suffer anxiety attacks, feelings of anger or helplessness, and depression. Fearing for their safety, some are forced to relocate or change jobs to protect themselves. And, tragically, stalking can be a precursor to more violent offenses, including sexual assault and homicide. The consequences of this crime are real, and they take a profound and ongoing toll on men, women, teens, and children across our country.

Despite the dangerous reality of stalking, public awareness and legal responses to this crime remain limited. New data show that one in six women and one in 19 men have experienced stalking that caused them to be very fearful or feel that they or someone close to them were in immediate physical danger. Among men and women alike, victims are most commonly stalked by current or former intimate partners, and young adults are at the highest risk for stalking victimization. Though stalking can occur in any community, shame, fear of retribution, or concerns that they will not be supported lead many victims to forego reporting the crime to the police. As we strive to reverse this trend, we must do more to promote public awareness and support for survivors of stalking.

My Administration is working to advance protection and services for stalking victims, empower survivors to break the cycle of abuse, and bring an end to violence against women and men. With unprecedented coordination between Federal agencies, we are promoting new tools to decrease the incidence of domestic violence, sexual assault, dating violence, and stalking, and we are taking action to ensure perpetrators are held accountable. To reinforce these efforts, advocates, law enforcement officials, and others who work with victims must continue to improve their capacity to respond with swift and comprehensive action. From raising awareness to pursuing criminal justice, all of us have a role to play in stopping this senseless and harmful behavior.

This month, let us come together to prevent abuse, violence, and harassment in all their forms and renew our commitment to bring care and support to those in need.

NOW, THEREFORE, I, BARACK OBAMA, President of the United States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and the laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim January 2012 as National Stalking Awareness Month. I call on all Americans to learn to recognize the signs of stalking, acknowledge stalking as a serious crime, and urge those impacted not to be afraid to speak out or ask for help. Let us also resolve to support victims and survivors, and to create communities that are secure and supportive for all Americans.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this twenty eighth day of December, in the year of our Lord two thousand eleven, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and thirty-sixth.

BARACK OBAMA

http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2011/12/28/presidential-proclamation-national-stalking-awareness-month-2012

I truly believe that social media can be used safely with a few tips for safety.  We teach our teenagers these simple steps then forget to follow them ourselves.

• If you must use checkin services like FourSquare, check in as you are leaving.
• Never check in to places like home, work or other places you visit on a regular schedule.
• Keep in mind that checking in surrounding your home (i.e.  grocery store, Starbucks on the corner, etc) is a good indicator of what part of town you are in.
• Know where you are sending an update! Do not set your social media accounts to auto-populate.  For example, don’t automatically send your Foursquare checkins to Twitter or Twitter to Facebook.  Doing this manually will help you keep better “tabs” on the information you are putting out on the web.
• Think before you tweet! Every aspect of your life does not have to be tweeted or documented with a checkin.  You often do not realize you have a dangerous stalking situation immediately.
• Turn off the location setting on social media sites.  Some sites offer the ability to use your phone’s GPS to share your location turn these options off to ensure you are not sharing a location you should keep private.
• Read the details of the apps you download.  Many apps gain control of things like GPS and have the ability to update your social media.  Know what you are authorizing when you download.

Social media is an incredible networking tool; however, since it is a public forum it is best to take care of what you share.

There are a number of sites out there that make gathering your Facebook (or other social media site) data easier.  Some of these offer opt-out programs, but others unfortunately do not.  It is a good reminder to be careful what you post on social media.

Opt-out from the latest of these social media information aggregators here.

Thanks for the guest post by Jonathan Curtis

What do you get for the people on your Christmas list who already have everything at the holidays? This year we had a Home Security family Christmas. Neither my parents nor my in-laws had security systems so for our peace of mind, my husband and I had alarm systems installed at both their homes. As often happens over time, both households are in neighborhoods that were once nice but have seen better days. Unfortunately, neither set of parents will consider moving. They both have been in their homes so long living anywhere else is not an option. They still know any of their neighbors and have sentimental attachments to their neighborhoods. Not that I blame them. I like being able to go home to the house I grew up in and I know my husband does to. It’s fun to see our kids play on the streets where we grew up. And it’s nice to feel like our parents are as safe as they were when they moved in 30 plus years ago.

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MTcTIoEnvhI

From Marie Claire:

Two years after that infamous video, the ESPN reporter still can’t escape it — even though she put her stalker behind bars. As she gears up for college football season, she opens up about the public and private battles she’s still waging.

“Just saw your video. Wow, you are on fire doing your hair naked!”

That’s an incoming tweet to Erin Andrews. It hits her iPhone while she’s on a trip to Tennessee, preparing to host a country-music benefit for tornado victims. She gets about a dozen such tweets a day — continual reminders of the video that went viral two years ago this summer, when a stalker removed the peephole of her hotel-room door, then stood in the hallway and filmed her for several minutes in the nude. Not that she’s likely to forget. The video is one of the first things that pops up in a Google search of her name. At college football games, where she reports from the sidelines for ESPN, she hears fans scream from the stadium, “Hey, I’ve seen you naked!”

The video has become part of her everyday life, but that doesn’t mean she plans to accept that fate. She has put her stalker in jail, she has lobbied for stronger laws against stalkers, and she has filed a civil suit against the hotel where the video was shot, hoping to spur all hotels to boost their security. Now Andrews is launching a new offensive — to vanquish the video from the Internet. To do so, she must first buy the copyright to the illicit video of her own body. We asked about her ongoing struggles, both legal and personal.

You faced Barrett for the first time in court in December 2009, five months after the video went online. What was it like to see him face-to-face?
It was awful. He ended up walking in right in front of us, and I started to hyperventilate. I looked at my dad and was like, “I can’t breathe.” My dad was a rock. I had these notes, and he goes, “Look down and concentrate on your notes.” I looked down, and you could just hear teardrops hitting my paper. And it was funny, for a guy who stood behind a door and took this video of me and stalked me, he didn’t look at me once in court. He couldn’t look at me.

At the sentencing in March, the judge let me speak to him. I got so nervous and geeked up that my heel got caught in the carpet on the way to the podium, and I almost fell on my face. Then I started telling him what he’d done to my life. I yelled, “You’re going to go to jail for how many years, but I’ll never get this off the Internet — I’ll have to explain it to my future husband and my kids!”

That spring, you went on Dancing With the Stars, causing a new storm.
Yes, my whole reason for doing the show was to get away from my life. I did it to get my smile back. Then Elisabeth Hasselbeck said my stalker should have just waited and he could have seen me naked on Dancing With the Stars, referring to the costumes. That was basically throwing stalking in the face of every victim and laughing about it.

Your stalker is now in jail but gets out next fall. Does that worry you?
That’s something I think about a lot. I’ll need a restraining order. I’m not married; I’m not dating anyone. When I finally have a life and a family and someone who wants to be a part of all this, I’m going to have to explain, “So, my stalker’s getting out of jail …” It’s going to be a different life with him out of jail.

How can women protect themselves, and their privacy, in hotels?
If the clerk says your room number out loud and there are people standing there, ask for a different room. If you get a room with an adjoining room, prop a card against the door so you can tell if it’s been opened. Cover your peephole with a Band-Aid. Put up the “Do Not Disturb” sign — no one needs to be in your room. If you’re there for a few days and need towels, call the front desk.

The athletes you report on need to protect their privacy as well, or they could be embroiled in a scandal …
Oh, yeah, I’m seeing a lot of colleges educating their athletes, saying, “Look, you’ve got to be really careful about what pictures you put on Facebook or in social media because there may be people who try to take advantage of you.”

Last summer, you lobbied for a bill that would strengthen laws against stalkers, but the bill didn’t pass Congress. Now it has been reintroduced. Will you keep lobbying for it?
Yes. The laws are so outdated, and technology has just gotten better and crazier and faster. The laws need to be strengthened — they’re a joke. Hopefully, we can get something done. I’ve brought attention to the crime. Now let’s fix it.

Speaking out about your experience could arguably cause more problems for you. What motivates you?
When someone embarrasses me publicly the way this guy did, I feel I have no choice but to fight back. And at the time everything happened, I got a ton of letters from women who were stalking victims. People had set up video cameras in their homes, whether it was a neighbor or a handyman. The videos were on the Internet, and the women couldn’t get them down or get these guys arrested. They said, “First, we want to welcome you to the sorority. But we also want to tell you to please fight this — you’re our voice.” I had to.

With any social media platform it is important to stay safe.  Here is a simple screen cast video and description of how to stay safe (and still have fun) with the platform.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ACjccwaoCwc

More information can be found here.