For the purposes of this paper the terms are not taken to include other types of unwelcome behaviour, for example, loud music or other anti-social behaviour by neighbours. Rather it concentrates on repeated behaviour that causes real alarm to a particular victim. The repetition of the behaviour is a fundamental part of the offence in all the jurisdictions we have examined. Indeed it is implied in the ordinary meaning of the word 'harassment' in English that it is not a one-off incident. This is not an issue that can be considered in isolation and there are a number of areas where the Scottish Executive is already taking or planning action that is relevant to this problem.
Domestic abuse is particularly relevant, since many 'stalkers' are former partners.
The Scottish Executive is committed both to prevent women from being abused and to provide help and support to victims. The Scottish Partnership on Domestic Abuse was set up in November 1998 with a remit to recommend minimum levels of service provision for women suffering domestic abuse, in order to encourage consistent service delivery throughout Scotland. In so doing, it has been asked to pay particular attention to the needs of women from rural areas, from ethnic minorities and with disabilities, also taking into account the impact on children and young people affected. The Partnership has been asked also to recommend effective intervention strategies to prevent male violence against female partners and their children. The Partnership now has in place a revised Workplan to help it to fulfil its remit in full and expects to make recommendations in the late summer.