The month of January has been designated National Stalking Awareness Month which emanates from a resolution introduced by U. S. Senators Joseph R. Biden, Jr. (D-DE) and Susan Collins (R-ME). The purpose of this effort is to focus attention on stalking and heighten awareness of the issue.
Senator Biden, a historically proactive supporter of issues concerning violence and victimization and the author of the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA), recognizes and understands the critical impact of this crime that, if left unchecked, can have severe and devastating consequences. "Stalking is not a one-time occurrence; this is a crime that leaves its victims fearful twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week. No place - not even home - is safe if a stalker knows where the victim lives. Victims spend their days and nights looking over their shoulder, often changing jobs, relocating their homes, and even changing their appearance to escape the stalker," says Biden.
According to a fact sheet published by the National Center for Victims of Crime (NCVC), one in twelve women and one in forty-five men will be stalked in their lifetime, and 1,006,970 women and 370,990 men are stalked annually in the United States. A considerable number of victims - seventy-seven percent of female victims and sixty-four percent of male victims - are acquainted with the stalker. Moreover, fifty-nine percent of female victims and thirty-percent of male victims are stalked by an intimate partner. Seventy-six percent of intimate partner murder victims (femicide) had been stalked by their intimate partner. Two-thirds of stalkers pursue their victims at least once per week, some pursue their victims daily, and their methods of stalking may vary. In addition, stalkers place no time limit on their activities.
Though the legal definition of stalking, and the laws surrounding it may vary by state and jurisdiction, the common denominators that victims of this crime share is that the stalker's course of conduct causes the victim to fear for his or her safety; it causes extreme emotional distress; and it intrudes into the life of the victim to the point of affecting the person's privacy, autonomy, and overall quality of life. In essence, the victim does not feel safe, may feel intimidated, and may fear the threat of physical violence that can accompany stalking behavior. It is not uncommon, nor unlikely, that physical harm coincides with stalking. Thus, stalking is frequently linked with domestic violence, and the same elements of power and control that dominate domestic violence situations tend to juxtapose stalking scenarios.
In days gone by, without the level of knowledge that exists today, stalking was often perceived only as someone following another person and keeping constant tabs on the individual's activities and whereabouts. Though that can still be a reality, stalking behavior in today's world has elevated itself to a far more sophisticated level and a crime of greater proportion. Victims can actually feel terrorized because they can be victimized in any locality, in any type of environment, and in various ways.
Advances in technology and refined surveillance equipment and tracking devices have only served to add fuel to the fire of the motivations inspired by the stalker. Small hidden cameras can be placed in areas where they are undetected but are able to observe the victim's movements and actions. Global positioning systems (GPS) can be placed on vehicles to track the victim's whereabouts. Electronic mail (email), a popular form of communication for legitimate purposes, has now become an illegitimate means for stalkers to communicate with their victims. The resulting effect creates and enhances the fear and level of intimidation and aids in disrupting any degree of security in the victim’s life.
For those victimized by the crime of stalking, their lives may turn into a living hell. They sometimes fear they will not be believed when they relate their stories and worry they will be labeled as "ridiculous," "nutty," or "crazy." For those reasons, they will often endure the crime for a long time before they make any attempt, if ever, to report it to law enforcement authorities. If and when they decide to do so, their lives may have already been severely impacted to the point that they are overwhelmed with fear and reluctant to trust anyone.
In Northern Virginia, a school teacher had been stalked for three years before she decided to finally report the crime. Her relationship with the stalker began when she was his dental patient, and their business dealings led to the development of a personal relationship. When she decided to end the relationship, the man, who was a respected professional in the community, could not relinquish their connection. He began to stalk her. The nature and intensity of the stalking behavior increased, over time, and the victim became extremely fearful of her stalker. He followed her, drove by her house, and observed all her movements. It was presumed he was the culprit who keyed her car on more than one occasion, which caused repeated and significant damage. She felt his presence wherever she went. Over time, the impact of the stalking affected her to the degree that she would no longer leave her house except for essential reasons such as buying gas, groceries, or running necessary errands. Her social life ended, her friendships were disrupted, and she became very isolated.
When a victim specialist from the local victim/witness program contacted her, subsequent to receipt of the incident report, the victim immediately indicated she had made a mistake in reporting the crime and stated she did not want to go forward with prosecution. When pressed for the reason, she finally acknowledged that she was very afraid of the stalker. The victim specialist patiently communicated with the victim and conveyed information to reinforce the fact that she had done the right thing. The victim specialist also assured the victim she would be available to support the victim throughout the criminal justice process and told the victim she deserved to get her life back. The victim finally decided that what she heard made sense, and the case moved forward with a successful prosecution and subsequent conviction.
The victim later retired from teaching, moved to another locality, and met a new man. Following these life changes and several years later, she contacted the victim specialist to announce her engagement and express gratitude for the victim assistance she received that enabled her to move on with her life.
The manner in which law enforcement officers respond to crimes of stalking, as well as how they interact with and treat the victim, may play a critical role in determining the victim's willingness to move forward and cooperate with the criminal justice process. In addition, the immediate involvement and proactive outreach efforts of victim services professionals is essential. Victim specialists provide vital support to victims whose existence has been predominated by fear that only reduces their willingness to report and prosecute.
During the month of January, the awareness placed on the crime of stalking is a laudable effort by Senators Biden and Collins. Senator Biden aptly states, it is "the perfect opportunity for parents, lawmakers, and community leaders to carefully review state and local laws on stalking and insist that laws keep pace with technology and protect victims." It is certainly not too soon - and never too late - to give this issue the attention it deserves.
