The moment the situation starts to escalate, if you've already made clear that you have no interest, stop all contact. This includes attempts at friendly persuasion, counter-threats (an especially serious mistake), angry demands to be left alone, or efforts to negotiate. "If someone calls you forty times and, in desperation, you finally call him back after the forty-first message to try and entreat or reason with him, that simply teaches the caller that it takes that many attempts to get you on the line," says the country's foremost stalking authority Gavin de Becker. "Besides, trying to talk sense into someone who has already departed from logical behavior is like trying to teach someone to row a boat when they've already jumped into the water."

Putting an end to all communication includes not responding -- or reacting in a detectable way -- to threats or intimidations, no matter how scared you are. As a precaution, consult your local law enforcement department or a threat-assessment professional. But remember to treat the threat like you would a promise: evaluate the issuer's character, motives, and the circumstances in order to judge how likely he is to carry out the threat.

Needless to say, you want to avoid any personal contact. Treat any stalker as if he or she is extremely dangerous and stay away from that person whenever possible. Should the stalker confront you, however, try to curb any actions or words that might provoke an angry reaction, since he has little to lose. Keep unavoidable encounters brief and don't get drawn into discussions or negotiations. And be especially careful around holidays, since those seem to incite stalker activity.