Stalking is a prevalent, dangerous, and often misunderstood crime. This session explores the dynamics of stalking, focusing on the highly contextual nature of the crime by discussing common tactics and technologies used by perpetrators, the co-occurrence of stalking with domestic and sexual violence, as well as strategies for holding offenders accountable.

By the end of this presentation, participants will be better able to:

• Identify stalking behaviors, dynamics, and intersection with other crimes
• Identify technologies commonly (mis)used in a stalking course of conduct
• Recognize the benefit of prosecuting stalking

Speaker

Natalie Ivey (JD) is a Training and Criminal Justice Specialist for the Stalking, Prevention, Awareness, and Resource Center (SPARC), an Aequitas initiative. As a Training and Criminal Justice Specialist, Natalie works to educate and equip criminal legal systems to recognize and effectively respond to the crime of stalking.

Before joining the team at SPARC, Natalie served as the Program Manager for the Buncombe County Pretrial Services Program, improving the efficiency of the program and aligning its services with national best practice standards for pretrial reporting and supervision. Prior to her work in the pretrial field, Natalie worked in various capacities to improve systemic response to victims of crime, specifically victims of intimate partner violence.

Natalie began her career as a prosecutor, focusing on misdemeanor and felony domestic and sexual violence crimes, but shifted her professional focus to improving systemic response and providing direct services to victims of crime. Through her time with Genesis House and the Community Coalition Against Human Trafficking, Natalie has served as nonprofit leader and advocate. She has extensive experience facilitating community education programs, building effective coalitions, designing victim service programs, and providing trauma-informed direct services.

Natalie graduated from Tennessee Technological University with a Bachelor of Science in History and the University of Tennessee College of Law with a Juris Doctor degree. Natalie is based in Asheville, North Carolina.