ON STALKING
Action Against Violence
February 15, 2009
DOMESTIC VIOLENCE AND STALKING
ACCORDING To the Violence Against Women Grants Office’s 2ND Annual Report to Congress (circa 2000), “survey results indicate that stalking is a much bigger problem than previously assumed.” Well, about 10 years later, we now know how serious stalking is.
STALKING IS (as defined by most states) “the willful, malicious, and repeated following and harassing of another person” Some states throw in activities such as lying in wait, surveillance, nonconsensual communications, telephone harassment, and vandalism. Moreover, stalking usually requires a “course of conduct directed at a specific person that involves repeated – two or more – visual or physical proximity, nonconsensual communications, verbal, written, or implied threats, or a combination thereof—-causing the person to feel a high level of fear or bodily harm.”
THE SURVEY FOUND that 8% of all women and 2.2% of all men surveyed were stalked at least once in their lifetime. Thirty-eight per cent of stalking victims included wives; 10% were partners; 14% were stalked after a date or a few dates; 4% were relatives; 19% were female acquaintances (34% were male acquaintances); and 23% of women were stalked by a male stranger. Interestingly, 36% of males reported being stalked by a female stranger.
THE REPORT goes on to outline victim service providers and how they can be expected to increase their outreach to stalking victims to help these victims, assist police and prosecutors in building stalking cases, etc. I suggest, if you are a victim of stalking, that you take it seriously – I don’t have the statistics in front of me, but, believe me, if not fractured early, there is a geometric progression of aggression in the Stalker’s Cycle. Law enforcement, the Courts and the Criminal Justice System itself – along with these victim outreach program can and will help to break that vicious cycle and get you back to a normal and safe life.
BUT I MUST WARN you, the criminal justice system can get the job done, if what you want is your stalker to be targeted, intervened upon, arrested and prosecuted. And for 97-98% of the cases, if you follow through all the way until sentencing (and beyond – when he or she is released on parole or probation, even), you’ll get your wish. Of course, if you’ve done the math, you might be asking me right now, “Uhh, Hammer, that’s lovely, but, that still leave 2 to 3% of the stalkers out there that a PFA (Protection From Abuse) Order and Criminal Justice intervention won’t stop. What works with them, and who the heck are these “3-Percenters, anyway?”
Next Two Posts: The 3 Percenters and How To Stop Him (Her). Until then, Stay Safe.
Hammer