III 

117TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION S. RES. 491 

Raising awareness and encouraging the prevention of stalking by designating 

January 2022 as ‘‘National Stalking Awareness Month’’. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

January 13 (legislative day, January 10), 2022 

Ms. KLOBUCHAR (for herself, Mr. GRASSLEY, Mrs. FEINSTEIN, Mr. CRAPO, 

Ms. HIRONO, Mr. TILLIS, Mr. DURBIN, and Mrs. BLACKBURN) submitted 

the following resolution; which was considered and agreed to 

RESOLUTION 

Raising awareness and encouraging the prevention of stalking 

by designating January 2022 as ‘‘National Stalking 

Awareness Month’’. 

Whereas approximately 1 in 6 women in the United States, 

at some point during her lifetime, has experienced stalking victimization, causing her to feel very fearful or believe that she or someone close to her would be harmed 

or killed; 

Whereas it is estimated that, each year, between 6,000,000 

and 7,500,000 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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•SRES 491 ATS 

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 homicides 

were stalked during the year preceding the homicide by 

their killers; 

Whereas 11 percent of victims of stalking report having been 

stalked for more than 5 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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•SRES 491 ATS 

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 up to 75 percent of women in college who experience 

behavior relating to stalking also experience other forms 

of victimization, including sexual or physical victimization; 

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 more than twice as many victims of stalking are 

stalked using technology, such as phone calls, text messages, social media platforms, internet posts, emails, electronic tracking, as victims of stalking who are stalked 

without the use of technology; 

Whereas the COVID–19 pandemic has heightened the risk of 

online stalking and harassment, particularly among 

school-aged individuals; 


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•SRES 491 ATS 

Whereas victim service organizations and law enforcement entities have swiftly adapted to the COVID–19 pandemic in 

order to continue to serve victims of stalking; 

Whereas victim service providers report an increase in online 

stalking and harassment, particularly among school-aged 

individuals; and 

Whereas the Senate 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 Senate— 

2 (1) designates January 2022 as ‘‘National 

3 Stalking Awareness Month’’; 

4 (2) applauds the efforts of service providers for 

5 victims of stalking, police, prosecutors, national and 

6 community organizations, campuses, and private sec7 tor supporters to promote awareness of stalking; 

8 (3) encourages policymakers, criminal justice 

9 officials, victim service and human service agencies, 

10 institutions of higher education, and nonprofit orga11 nizations to increase awareness of stalking and con12 tinue to support the availability of services for vic13 tims of stalking; and 

14 (4) urges national and community organiza15 tions, businesses in the private sector, and the media 

16 to promote awareness of the crime of stalking 

17 through ‘‘National Stalking Awareness Month’’. 

Æ 


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