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Reading for Stalker Awareness
January is National Stalking Awareness Month. Despite all of the advances society has made in the area of relationships, consent, and violence against women, stalking is still a very real problem. And despite the stuff you might see on TV, where stalkers are caught in the space of an hour, many people have been stalked for years, despite multiple police reports and protective orders. Stalkers are frequently released shortly after arrest and sentences when/if they are ever convicted of stalking can be very light. Then, they are back on the street and up to their old tricks.
What is Stalking?
Stalking is a repetitive pattern of unwanted, harassing or threatening behavior committed by one person against another. Acts include: telephone harassment, being followed, receiving unwanted gifts, and other similar forms of intrusive behavior. All states and the Federal Government have passed anti-stalking legislation. Definitions of stalking found in state anti-stalking statutes vary in their language, although most define stalking as “the willful, malicious, and repeated following and harassing of another person that threatens his or her safety”
Fact Sheet on Stalking, National Violence Against Women Prevention Research Center
