IV 

118TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. RES. 972 

Raising awareness and encouraging the prevention of stalking by expressing 

support for the designation of January 2024 as ‘‘National Stalking 

Awareness Month’’. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

JANUARY 18, 2024 

Mr. FITZPATRICK (for himself and Mrs. DINGELL) submitted the following 

resolution; which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary 

RESOLUTION 

Raising awareness and encouraging the prevention of stalking 

by expressing support for the designation of January 

2024 as ‘‘National Stalking Awareness Month’’. 

Whereas approximately 1 in 3 women and 1 in 6 men in the 

United States, at some point during their lifetime, has 

experienced stalking victimization, causing them to feel 

very fearful or believe that they or someone close to them 

would be harmed or killed; 

Whereas it is estimated that, each year, more than 

13,400,000 individuals in the United States report that 

they have been victims of stalking; 

Whereas more than 85 percent of victims of stalking report 

that they have been stalked by someone they know; 


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•HRES 972 IH 

Whereas nearly 70 percent of intimate partner stalking victims are threatened with physical harm by stalkers; 

Whereas stalking is a risk factor for intimate partner homicide; 

Whereas 3 in 4 female victims of intimate partner homicide 

were stalked during the year preceding the homicide by 

their killers; 

Whereas 11 percent of victims of stalking report having been 

stalked for 5 or more years; 

Whereas two-thirds of stalkers pursue their victims at least 

once a week; 

Whereas many victims of stalking are forced to take drastic 

measures to protect themselves, including relocating, 

changing jobs, or obtaining protection orders; 

Whereas the prevalence of anxiety, insomnia, social dysfunction, and severe depression is much higher among victims 

of stalking than the general population; 

Whereas many victims of stalking do not report stalking to 

the police or contact a victim service provider, shelter, or 

hotline; 

Whereas stalking is a crime under Federal law, the laws of 

all 50 States, the District of Columbia, and the territories of the United States, and the Uniform Code of 

Military Justice; 

Whereas stalking affects victims of every race, age, culture, 

gender, sexual orientation, physical and mental ability, 

and economic status; 

Whereas national organizations, local victim service organizations, campuses, prosecutor’s offices, and police departments stand ready to assist victims of stalking and are 


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•HRES 972 IH 

working diligently to develop effective and innovative responses to stalking, including online stalking; 

Whereas there is a need to improve the response of the criminal justice system to stalking through more aggressive investigation and prosecution; 

Whereas there is a need for an increase in the availability of 

victim services across the United States, and those services must include programs tailored to meet the needs of 

victims of stalking; 

Whereas individuals between 18 and 24 years old experience 

the highest rates of stalking victimization, and a majority 

of stalking victims report their victimization first occurred before the age of 25; 

Whereas among undergraduate college students who experience intimate partner stalking, 40 percent also experience 

coercive control and 11 percent experience physical assault from the same partner; 

Whereas 32 percent of undergraduate college students who 

experience stalking are also sexually assaulted; 

Whereas college students with disabilities are twice as likely 

as college students without disabilities to experience 

stalking; 

Whereas there is a need for an effective response to stalking 

on each campus; 

Whereas 80 percent of stalking victims report being stalked 

with technology, such as phone calls, text messages, social media platforms, internet posts, emails, and electronic tracking; 


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•HRES 972 IH 

Whereas victims of technology-facilitated stalking often report 

as much fear as victims who experience in-person stalking, and are just as concerned for their safety; 

Whereas January 2024 marks the 20th anniversary of the 

first ‘‘National Stalking Awareness Month’’; and 

Whereas the House of Representatives finds that ‘‘National 

Stalking Awareness Month’’ provides an opportunity to 

educate the people of the United States about stalking: 

Now, therefore, be it 

1 Resolved, That the House of Representatives— 

2 (1) expresses support for the designation of 

3 ‘‘National Stalking Awareness Month’’; 

4 (2) applauds the efforts of service providers, po5 lice, departments, prosecutor’s offices, national and 

6 community organizations, colleges and universities, 

7 and private sector entities that combat stalking, sup8 port victims, and bring awareness to this crime; 

9 (3) encourages policymakers, criminal justice 

10 officials, victim service and human service agencies, 

11 institutions of higher education, and nonprofit orga12 nizations to increase awareness of stalking and con13 tinue to support the availability of services for vic14 tims of stalking; and 

15 (4) urges national and community organiza16 tions, businesses in the private sector, and the media 


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•HRES 972 IH 

1 to promote awareness of the crime of stalking 

2 through ‘‘National Stalking Awareness Month’’. 

Æ 


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