Harassment and Stalking.

In an effort to continually promote a safe campus environment, the Campus Police Department is providing this information concerning harassment. Our motto is "Don't be a victim!...Be Proactive...Not Reactive!" The Campus Police Department will thoroughly investigate all reported incidents of harassment (including phone and email harassment), as well as related offenses such as stalking. Violators will be subject to criminal prosecution.  For Safety Tips click here.

What is Harassment? (From SC Code of Laws Section 16-3-1700).

(A) "Harassment" means a pattern of intentional, substantial, and unreasonable intrusion into the private life of a targeted person that causes the person and would cause a reasonable person in his position to suffer mental distress. Harassment may include, but is not limited to:

(1) following the targeted person as he moves from location to location;

(2) visual, physical, or verbal contact that is initiated, maintained, or repeated after a person has been provided notice that the contact is unwanted;

(3) surveillance of or the maintenance of a presence near the targeted person's:

(a) residence;

(b) place of work;

(c) school; or

(d) another place regularly occupied by the targeted person; and

(4) vandalism and property damage.

Harassment does not include words or conduct that is protected by the Constitution of this State or the United States, and does not apply to law enforcement officers or process servers performing their official duties. For fines and penalties, please refer to SC Code of Laws 16-3-1710.

What is Stalking? (From SC Code of Laws Section 16-3-1700).

(B) "Stalking" means a pattern of words, conduct, written, or electronic, that is intended to cause and does cause a targeted person and would cause a reasonable person in the targeted person's position to fear:

(1) death of the person or a member of his family;

(2) assault upon the person or a member of his family;

(3) bodily injury to the person or a member of his family;

(4) criminal sexual contact on the person or a member of his family;

(5) kidnapping of the person or a member of his family; or

(6) damage to the property of the person or a member of his family.

Stalking does not include words or conduct that is protected by the Constitution of this State or the United States and does not apply to law enforcement officers or process servers performing their official duties. For fines and penalties, please refer to SC Code of Laws 16-3-1720.