Daughter afraid - need advice

sally305
Tue, 11 Dec 2012 07:57:09 +0000

Another angle–not that it solves the problem of the OP’s daughter’s safety–is that the neighbor HAS backed off thanks to the police visit. If he was told in no uncertain terms to leave her alone and not communicate with her (“or else”) it is possible he got the message and will indeed leave her alone from now on. There haven’t been any additional overtures since the letter, right?

None of us have seen the letter. Yes, it could be wildly inappropriate, or it could be just the pathetic ramblings of a social misfit–the kinds of things he is too awkward to say in person. He might think this is his one chance to get her to consider him. IT’S STILL CREEPY, no question. But even “inappropriate” doesn’t necessarily mean “threatening.” How many of us women have been the subject of inappropriate comments in bars, on sidewalks, or even the workplace? We can’t flip out about every one of them. We need all the coping skills people have suggested in this thread.

Please note that I am not at all minimizing the potential for risk for the OP’s daughter–only that I would hate for a young woman to end up spending her life in fear and having to flee from every single situation that makes her uncomfortable. Hopefully by now the OP has gotten to where she lives and can assess the situation better in person.