Domestic violence-related stalking and intimidation incidents more than doubled over the last ten years across the state, along with an increase of police legal proceedings of 164 per cent.

Jackie Fitzgerald, Executive Director at BOCSAR, said that the rise was substantial but didn't reflect changes in the community.

"The rise in stalking/intimidation charges over the past ten years appears to reflect a changing appreciation of the seriousness and breadth of domestic and family violence by law enforcement rather than changing behaviours in the community," she explained.

In the Griffith LGA, incidents of stalking and harassment increased by eight per cent, from 199 incidents in 2017-18 to a shocking 271 in 2021-2022.

Griffith also saw a dramatic boost of incidents regarding drug dealing. While 2019-2020 and 2020-2021 both saw just seven incidents, the most recent year saw 25 separate incidents of methamphetamine trafficking.

Yvonne Wilson, CEO of the Linking Communities Network, said that the higher numbers may be because of recent awareness campaigns.

"There has been an increase in harassment stats but not all would fit the domestic violence criteria."

"Some would be the result of recent campaigns raising awareness of harassment in its various form, which leads to more reporting and people feeling comfortable and confident in doing so," she said.

Over in Leeton, there were 124 recorded incidents of AVO's being breached - a 21.4 per cent increase over the last five years.

Leeton saw a similar eight per cent increase in intimidation, stalking and harassment incidents, along with a shocking 9 per cent increase in domestic violence-related assaults from 68 incidents in 2017-18 to 99 this year.

Especially painfully, the rise in incidents has disproportionately affected Aboriginal communities, with legal proceedings against Indigenous people increasing by 274 per cent in the last ten years and Aboriginal people accounting for 52 per cent of prison sentences while they represent just 3.4 per cent of NSW residents.

Ms Wilson emphasised the hidden nature of social media harassment and encouraged anyone to report it to police.

"It has a devastating effect on people's lives, especially the older and younger people who are less likely to report it."

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