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    What is Stalking?

    While legal definitions of stalking vary from one jurisdiction to another, a good working definition of stalking is a course of conduct directed at a specific person that would cause a reasonable person to feel fear.  Stalking is often a crime related to domestic violence.

    REMEMBER, If you are being stalked, it is not your fault!The National Center for Victims of Crime’s Stalking Resource Center http://www.ncvc.org( provides the following information:

    STALKING VICTIMIZATION

    • 3.4 million people over the age of 18 are stalked each year in the United States.
    • 3 in 4 stalking victims are stalked by someone they know.
    • 30% of stalking victims are stalked by a current or former intimate partner.
    • 10% of stalking victims are stalked by a stranger.
    • Persons aged 18-24 years experience the highest rate of stalking.
    • 11% of stalking victims have been stalked for 5 years or more.
    • 46% of stalking victims experience at least one unwanted contact per week.
    • 1 in 4 victims report being stalked through the use of some form of technology (such as e-mail or instant messaging).
    • 10% of victims report being monitored with global positioning systems (GPS), and 8% report being monitored through video or digital cameras, or listening devices.
    [Katrina Baum et al., “Stalking Victimization in the United States,” (Washington, DC:BJS, 2009).]

    Impact of Stalking on Victims

    • 46% of stalking victims fear not knowing what will happen next. [Baum et al., (2009). “Stalking Victimization in the United States.” BJS.]
    • 29% of stalking victims fear the stalking will never stop. [Baum et al.]
    • 1 in 8 employed stalking victims lose time from work as a result of their victimization and more than half lose 5 days of work or more. [Baum et al.]
    • 1 in 7 stalking victims move as a result of their victimization. [Baum et al.]
    • The prevalence of anxiety, insomnia, social dysfunction, and severe depression is much higher among stalking victims than the general population, especially if the stalking involves being followed or having one’s property destroyed. [Eric Blauuw et al., “The Toll of Stalking,” Journal of Interpersonal Violence, 17, no. 1 (2002):50-63.]

    What to do if you are being stalked:

    The Stalking Resource Center of the National Center for Victims of Crimes suggests the following :

    Stalking is unpredictable and dangerous. No two stalking situations are alike. There are no guarantees that what works for one person will work for another, yet you can take steps to increase your safety.

    • If you are in immediate danger, call 911.
    • Trust your instincts. Don’t downplay the danger. If you feel you are unsafe, you probably are.
    • Take threats seriously. Danger generally is higher when the stalker talks about suicide or murder, or when a victim tries to leave or end the relationship.
    • Contact a crisis hotline, victim services agency, or a domestic violence or rape crisis  program. They can help you devise a safety plan, give you information about local laws,  refer you to other services, and weigh options such as seeking a protection order.
    • Develop a safety plan, including things like changing your routine, arranging a place to  stay, and having a friend or relative go places with you. Also, decide in advance what to  do if the stalker shows up at your home, work, school, or somewhere else. Tell people  how they can help you.
    • Don’t communicate with the stalker or respond to attempts to contact you.
    • Keep  evidence of the stalking. When the stalker follows you or contacts you, write down the time, date, and place. Keep e-mails, phone messages, letters, or notes. Photograph anything of yours the stalker damages and any injuries the stalker causes. Ask witnesses to write down what they saw.
    • Contact the police. Every state has stalking laws. The stalker may also have broken  other laws by doing things like assaulting you or stealing or destroying your property.
    • Consider getting a court order that tells the stalker to stay away from you.
    • Tell family, friends, roommates, and co-workers about the stalking and seek their support. Tell security staff at your job or school. Ask them to help watch out for  your safety.

    Stalking laws:

    • Stalking is a crime under the laws of 50 states, the District of Columbia, the U.S. Territories, and the Federal government.
    • Less than 1/3 of states classify stalking as a felony upon first offense.
    • More than 1/2 of states classify stalking as a felony upon second or subsequent offense or when the crime involves aggrevating factors.
    • Aggravating factors may include: possession of a deadly weapon, violation of a court order or condition of probation/parole, victim under 16 years, or same victim as prior occasions.
    • For a compilation of state, tribal, and federal laws visit www.ncvc.org/src.

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