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Stalking Awareness Initiative Facts About Stalking Stalking Law Resources Facts About Stalking …Three people become victims of stalking every minute. * Unlike other crimes, stalking can continue for an extended period of time and has been characterized as a chronic law enforcement problem. Stalking is a criminal offense. But in spite of existing laws, most cases do not result in criminal intervention and very few result in criminal prosecution. To illustrate this problem, less than a half of one per cent of perpetrators were arrested and prosecuted for the crime of stalking in San Diego County in 1996. ** Stalking victims tend to be older than the general crime victim population, have relatively higher education and are more likely to be professionals. Stalkers are on average older as well. They have higher levels of education compared to other criminal offenders and are often engaged in professional work. Stalkers are seen to be more intelligent than other criminals, accounting for their manipulative skills. The frequency of violence among stalkers towards their victims averages 25-35%. This is a high rate of violence compared to other criminally violent groups.** Stalkers use a variety of means to stalk (in order of greatest to least occurrence): phone calls (landline and cell), home surveillance, following physically, driving by home, appearing at workplace, sending letters and emails, spreading gossip and “gaslighting” (trying to make victims think they are “crazy”), damaging property, threatening to harm others, breaking and entering, sending unwanted gifts, physically and sexually assaulting victims, injuring and killing pets, kidnapping and arson. Stalking victims often report such bizarre behaviors that they have trouble convincing others that this is happening—including the professionals who are formally assigned to respond to them. ** As a result of being stalked, many victims move, quit jobs, change their names and identities. If they have children, none of these precautions are readily taken. Victims lose their homes, cars, jobs, families, friends, and often their children—where victimization is even greater. Stalking is psychological, physical, social, and economic terrorism. With continuous acute traumatic stress, victims’ behaviors change from being most often friendly and outgoing to becoming cautious, paranoid, frightened, less trusting, and suspicious. It must be stressed that these behaviors are appropriate to their experiences. Clients have told us that even once the stalker is deceased, they still can’t believe that the stalker won’t return.*** This is supported by research that indicates long term damaging effects on the victim. ** It is now simple and relatively inexpensive to obtain many kinds of information helpful to the stalker. Cell phones and the internet allow for multiple invasions of privacy and personal accounts. It is possible for the stalker to use tracking devices so that the victim’s whereabouts are known at all times. While stalking is an ancient crime, it is now an easy and inexpensive crime to commit. Much research remains to be done. Little to no research examines the impact of parents who are stalkers on their minor children—especially if the children are used as pawns in the process. In a time of brain imaging technology, we need far more information about the stalker and the victim. *www.ncvc.org/src/ **Meloy, J.R. (1998).The Psychology of Stalking: Clinical and Forensic Perspectives. San Diego, California: Academic Press ***TKWolf clinical research     Thank you to Active iNet Services for hosting this website.    visitors since March 9, 2006