What is stalking?

There is no widely accepted definition of "stalking". Nevertheless, the term "stalker" arouses certain common images in most people's minds. In a generic sense, the word "stalking" refers to predatory behavior. The term brings to mind a wide range of harassing behaviors that frighten or terrorize the victim.
Stalkers use several methods and instruments to harass and threaten their victims:

• Telephone
  
• Computer (Internet/E-mail)
• Fax
  
• Letters
  
• Gifts
  
• Following (walking/transport)
  
• Going to the victim's home
  
• Going to the victim's place of employment
  
• Vandalism (tearing up the victim's garden/painting on the victim's property)

Analysts estimate that approximately 200,000 people in the country stalk someone each year.

Traits of a stalker

Stalking behavior can be found in many people and stalkers come from all income levels. The experts say it is almost impossible to create a single profile for stalkers. However, most stalkers exhibit some shared traits or commonalities. These include intense interest in the media, an inability to develop meaningful relationships, a history of unsuccessful efforts to establish an identity, and a desire for recognition and attention. (Excerpted from STALKING: When Does Obsession Become a Crime?, by Christina Perez, American Journal of Criminal Law, Vol. 20, No. 2 (1993))

Who are stalking victims?

Researchers estimated that approximately 1 million women and 400,000 men are stalked each year in the United States.(National Institute of Justice. (1997, November). "The Crime of Stalking: How Big is the Problem?" Bulletin, citing the National Violence against Women Survey, sponsored by National Institute of Justice and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.)

Most stalking victims are former lovers, former spouses, and spouses; however, some stalking victims are co-workers, neighbors, celebrities, political figures, or even strangers.

Four out of five stalking victims are women. By comparison, 94 percent of the stalkers identified by male victims were male. (Violence Against Women Grants Office. (1998, July). Stalking and Domestic Violence: Third Annual Report to congress Under the Violence Against Women Act ,p.10, citing the National Violence Against Women Survey. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Justice.)