Title: Stalking Victimization
Series: Help Series Brochure
Author: Office for Victims of Crime
Published: February 2002
Subject: victims, victim assistance, stalking
5 pages
8,665 bytes

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OVC Help Series

Stalking Victimization

Office for Victims of Crime
OVC
Advocating for the Fair Treatment of Crime Victims

The National Center for Victims of Crime 

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What is stalking?

Stalking statutes vary from state to state. In general, stalking refers to
repeated harassing or threatening behavior by an individual, such as
following a person, appearing at a person's home or place of business,
making harassing phone calls, leaving written messages or objects, or
vandalizing a person's property. Virtually any unwanted contact between
two people that directly or indirectly communicates a threat or places the
victim in fear can be considered stalking.

Anyone can be a stalker, just as anyone can be a stalking victim.

Stalking is a crime that can touch anyone, regardless of gender, race,
sexual orientation, socioeconomic status, geographic location, or personal
associations. Most stalkers are young to middle-aged men with
above-average intelligence.

Unfortunately, there is no single psychological or behavioral profile for
stalkers. Every stalker is different. This makes it virtually impossible to
devise a single effective strategy that can be applied to every situation. It is
vital that stalking victims immediately seek the advice of local victim
specialists who can work with them to devise a safety plan for their unique
situation and circumstances.

Some stalkers develop an obsession for another person with whom they
have no personal relationship. When the victim does not respond as the
stalker hopes, the stalker may attempt to force the victim to comply by use
of threats and intimidation. When threats and intimidation fail, some
stalkers turn to violence.

The most prevalent type of stalking case involves some previous personal
or romantic relationship between the stalker and the victim. This includes
domestic violence cases and relationships in which there is no history of
violence. In these cases, stalkers try to control every aspect of their
victims' lives. The victim becomes the stalker's source of self-esteem, and
the loss of the relationship becomes the stalker's greatest fear. This
dynamic makes a stalker dangerous. Stalking cases that emerge from
domestic violence situations, however, are the most lethal type of stalking.

The stalker may attempt to renew the relationship by sending flowers,
gifts, and love letters. When the victim spurns these unwelcome advances,
the stalker often turns to intimidation. Attempts at intimidation typically
begin in the form of an unjustified and inappropriate intrusion into the
victim's life. The intrusions become more frequent over time. This
harassing behavior often escalates to direct or indirect threats.
Unfortunately, cases that reach this level of seriousness often end in
violence.

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If You Are Being Stalked

Any person who suspects that he or she is being stalked should report all
contacts and incidents to local law enforcement. To make arrest and
prosecution more likely, stalking victims should document every incident
as thoroughly as possible, including collecting/keeping videotapes,
audiotapes, phone answering machine messages, photos of property
damage, letters received, objects left, affidavits from eyewitnesses, and
notes. Experts also recommend that victims keep a journal to document all
incidents, including the time, date, and other relevant information for each.
Regardless of how much evidence they have gathered, victims should file
a complaint with law enforcement as soon as possible.

As a result of the stalking, you may experience a variety of physical,
emotional, and financial consequences. The emotional trauma of
constantly being on alert for the stalker, or the next harassment, may seem
to use up all the energy you have. You may feel vulnerable and out of
control of your life. You may have nightmares. Your eating and sleeping
habits may change. You may feel depressed or hopeless and lack interest
in things you once enjoyed. This is not unusual. The constant stress in
stalking situations is very real and harmful. Realize that what is happening
to you is not normal, not your fault, and not caused by anything you have
done.

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Where can you get help?

Remember, as a stalking victim, you are not alone. Do not lose hope. The
support network in your community may include hotlines, counseling
services, and support groups. Trained victim advocates can provide vital
information and a full range of support services, such as assistance through
the criminal justice process and help finding out about your rights as a
stalking victim.

You may be able to obtain a restraining order or a "no-contact" order
through the clerk of court. These are court orders signed by a judge telling
the stalker to stay away from you and not to have contact with you in
person or by phone. It is not necessary for a civil or criminal domestic
violence case to be filed for these orders to be issued. Most states
authorize law enforcement to make an arrest for violation of such an order.
Each jurisdiction and community may differ in the type of restraining
order available and the process for application and issuance of orders.
Local victim advocates can tell you how the process works in your
community.

All states now have crime victim compensation programs that reimburse
victims for certain out-of-pocket expenses, including medical expenses,
lost wages, and other financial needs considered reasonable. To be
eligible, you must report the crime to the police and cooperate with the
criminal justice system. Victim assistance programs in your community
can provide you with compensation applications and additional
information.

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What are the facts about stalking?

The results of the April 1998 National Violence Against Women Survey
(for discussion, see Stalking in America: Findings From the National
Violence Against Women Survey. Washington, DC: National Institute of
Justice, 1998), jointly sponsored by the National Institute of Justice and
the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, found that--

o One out of every 12 women (8,200,000) and one out of every 45 men
(2,000,000) in the United States have been stalked at some time in their
lives.

o It is estimated that every year in the United States, 1,006,970 women
and 370,990 men are stalked.

o Ninety percent of stalking victims were stalked by just one person each
during their lives. Nine percent of female victims and 8 percent of male
victims were stalked by two different people, and 1 percent of female
victims and 2 percent of male victims were stalked by three different
people.

o The majority of stalking victims (74 percent) are between 18 and 39
years old.

o In a 1-year period, women are three times more likely to be stalked than
raped, but they are two times more likely to be physically assaulted than
stalked.

o Eighty-seven percent of the stalkers identified by their victims were
male.

o Only 23 percent of female stalking victims and 36 percent of male
stalking victims were stalked by strangers.

o Thirty-eight percent of female stalking victims were stalked by current
or former husbands, 10 percent by current or former cohabiting partners,
and 14 percent by current or former dates or boyfriends.

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Resources for Information and Assistance

National Center for Victims of Crime
1-800-FYI-CALL or 1-800-394-2255
www.ncvc.org

National Domestic Violence Hotline
1-800-799-SAFE or 1-800-799-7233
TTY 1-800-787-3224
www.ndvh.org

National Organization for Victim Assistance
1-800-TRY-NOVA or 1-800-879-6682
www.try-nova.org

Office for Victims of Crime Resource Center
1-800-627-6872
TTY 1-877-712-9279
www.ojp.usdoj.gov/ovc/ovcres/welcome.html

Violence Against Women Office
202-307-6026
www.ojp.usdoj.gov/vawo

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This brochure was developed by the National Center for Victims of Crime
under a project supported by Grant No. 97-VF-GX-K007 awarded by the
Office for Victims of Crime, Office of Justice Programs, U.S. Department
of Justice. Points of view in this document are those of the author and do
not necessarily represent the official position or policies of the U.S.
Department of Justice.