If more people learn to recognize stalking, we have a better chance to protect victims and prevent tragedies. Less than 1/3 of states classify stalking as a felony upon first offense. Although stalking is not a joke it’s often treated as a joke, “not that big of a deal.” or even more disturbingly it’s treated as being romantic. Since the reality of this crime is often denied, President Obama proclaimed January as stalking awareness month. The theme was “Stalking: Know It. Name It. Stop It.” He proclaimed January stalking awareness month. You can read his speech and get more information about stalking here. Communities that understand stalking, however, can support victims and combat the crime.
It’s estimated to effect 6.6 million adults in the United States per year. In one of five cases, stalkers use weapons to harm or threaten victims, and stalking is one of the significant risk factors for femicide (homicide of women) in abusive relationships. Victims suffer anxiety, social dysfunction, and severe depression at much higher rates than the general population, and 1 in 8 lose time from work and 1 in 7 have to move as a result of their victimization.
One in 6 women and one in 19 men have experienced stalking victimization at some point during their lifetime in which they felt very fearful or believed that they or someone close to them would be harmed or killed. Using a less conservative definition of stalking, which considers any amount of fear (i.e., a little fearful, somewhat fearful, or very fearful), one in four women and one in 13 men reported being a victim of stalking in their lifetime. The majority of stalking victims are stalked by someone they know. 66% of female victims and 41% of male victims of stalking are stalked by a current or former intimate partner. More than half of female victims and more than 1/3 of male victims of stalking indicated that they were stalked before the age of 25. About one in five female victims and one in fourteen male victims experienced stalking between the ages of 11 and 17.
According to 1999 statistics (the last available), 76% of intimate partner femicide victims have been stalked by their intimate partner. 67% had been physically abused by their intimate partner. 89% of femicide victims who had been physically assaulted had also been stalked in the 12 months before their murder. 79% of abused femicide victims reported being stalked during the same period that they were abused.
11% of stalking victims have been stalked for 5 years or more. 54% of femicide victims reported stalking to police before they were killed by their stalkers. Almost 1/3 of stalkers have stalked before. Intimate partner stalkers frequently approach their targets, and their behaviors escalate quickly. Weapons are used to harm or threaten victims in 1 out of 5 cases.
Take the opportunity to learn more about stalking and what you can do about it.