Navigate Section What Is Stalking? Can Stalking Be Dangerous? Who Is Stalked? Who Are Stalkers? What Kinds of Preventive Measures Should a Victim of Stalking Consider? What Resources Are Available to a Victim of Stalking? Is Stalking More Common Between Acquaintances or Strangers? How Often Does Stalking Happen Between Intimates? Is There a Link Between Stalking, Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault? How Often Do Victims Report Incidents of Stalking to The Police? How Often Do Criminal and Civil Sanctions Occur? Do Protective Orders Help Discourage Stalking? How Does Stalking Affect Victims? When and Why Does Stalking Stop? Stalking Brochure:

What Is Stalking?
Stalking is a crime. Stalking is a knowing repeated, purposeful course of conduct directed at a specific person that would cause a reasonable person mental injury or emotional distress, the threat of bodily injury or bodily injury or death to him or herself or a member of her/his immediate family. It happens when someone repeatedly approaches, pursues or follows, threatens, harasses, trespasses on one’s property, vandalizes, conducts surveillance, shows a weapon, restrains, or commits bodily injury against the victim. A stalker does these things to make victims afraid—afraid that he or she will hurt, rape, kidnap or kill them or someone they love.

A stalker might follow a victim when she/he drives to work. He or she might wait for the victim outside her/his home or office. A stalker might call the victim on the phone and make threats or hang up when the victim answers. Some stalkers slash tires, vandalize homes and threaten their victims with weapons. Some stalkers send flowers, gifts and cards.

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• Inappropriate approaches
• and confrontations
• Appearances at a place of work or residence
• Telephone threats
• Unwanted gifts
• Unwanted e-mails
• Damage to property
• Physical assaults
• Sexual assault

4 out of 5 stalking victims are women.
50% of stalking victims were between the ages of 18 and 27.
90% of stalkers identified were male.
59% of female victims report being stalked by a former
intimate partner.

Although there is no standard way to assess the seriousness of a case, there are some factors that should be considered:

• History of violence exhibited by the stalker
• Presence of physical abuse or domestic violence
• Presence or absence of threats. Verbal or written threats very
  frequently precede acts of violence
• Obsession with the same or similar victim over a period of time
• Destruction of property
• Access and approach behaviors of the stalker (Letter writing or face-to-face contact)
• Knowing the mental status of the stalker
• Meaning or value the stalker places on the victim
• Knowledge of the relationship between the stalker and the victim

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Who Is Stalked?
80% of stalking victims are women. Very often, battered women are stalked by their abusers, especially if they try to end the relationship. Most often, stalking involves people who have had a prior relationship. This relationship may have been a former spouse, employer, intimate partner or neighbor. In most cases the stalking began after the relationship had ended or when there was a perception by the stalker that he/she was mistreated. The stalking is an attempt to rectify the problem or seek revenge. Sometimes people stalk strangers or mere acquaintances.

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• Frequent loss of temper
• Extreme jealousy and controlling behavior
• A belief that destiny led him or her to you, so you belong to the stalker in some way
• Few close friendships and an over-dependence on you as a link to the world
• Failure to accept responsibility for his or her own behavior, feelings and mistakes
• Repeated discussions of death, suicide and weapons
• Refusing to accept “no”
• Vandalizing or destroying your property

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• Law enforcement numbers and locations;
• Safe places (such as friends, domestic violence shelters,
  etc.); and
• Contact numbers for use after safety is secured (such as
  neighbors/family, attorney, prosecutor, medical care, child
  care, pet care, etc.).

b. Keeping an accessible reserve of necessities, including:

• A small packed suitcase in the trunk of the car, or at another readily accessible location, for quick departure;
• Reserve money;
• Other necessities—such as creditor’s numbers and personal welfare items such as medication, birth certificates, social security information, passports, etc.—should be readily available;
• Miscellaneous items—maintaining a full tank of gas in the car, backup keys for neighbors, etc. are practical; and
• Toys, books, or other special items belonging to the child(ren) of the victim.
  

c. Alerting people to the situation who may be useful in formulating a contingency plan, such as:

• Law enforcement
• Employers
• Family, friends, or neighbors
• Security personnel
  

d. Installing solid core doors with dead bolts. If all keys cannot be accounted for, then change locks and secure spare keys. Consider installing a security alarm system.

e. Installing adequate outside lighting. Trim back bushes and vegetation around residence.

f. Maintaining an unlisted phone number. Be selective about giving out your number. If harassing calls persist, notify local law enforcement, but also keep a written log of harassing calls and any answering machine tapes of calls with the stalker's voice and messages.

g. Getting a cell phone and keeping it with you at all times.

h. Treating any threats as legitimate and informing law enforcementimmediately.

i. Varying travel routes, stores and restaurants, etc. which are regularly used. Limit the amount of time walking, jogging, etc. unless in a safe environment.

j. Informing a trusted neighbor, roommates and/or colleaguesabout the situation. Provide them with a photo or description of the stalker and any possible vehicles he/she may drive.

k. If residing in an apartment building with an on-site propertymanager, provide the manager with a picture of the stalker.

l. Having co-workers or roommates screen all calls and visitors.

m. Avoiding travel alone if at all possible. Stay in public areas. If assistance is needed, yell “FIRE” to get immediate attention. People more readily respond to this cry for assistance than to
any other.

n. Using a “dummy” answering machine connected to a published phone line. A private unlisted number can be reserved for close friends and family. The stalker may not realize you have another line.

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• Domestic violence shelters or counselors
• Rape crisis programs or counselors
• Victim assistance coordinators in the prosecutor’s office and/or
• Law enforcement
  

Victim advocates may either give a referral number to the victim of a stalker, offer to make the call or have someone from the referral organization or program contact the victim directly. If there is no appropriate referral in the victim’s vicinity, the local law enforcement agency should be contacted.

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Is Stalking More Common Between Acquaintances or Strangers?
Most stalking cases involve perpetrators and victims who know each other. However, 23% of all female victims and 36% of all male victims are stalked by strangers.

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Is There a Link Between Stalking, Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault?
There is a strong link between stalking and other forms of violence in intimate relationships. National statistics show that 81% of women who were stalked by a current or former partner were also physically assaulted by that partner. 31% of those women were also sexually assaulted by that partner.

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How Often Do Victims Report Incidents of Stalking to The Police?
1 in 12 women and 1 in 45 men will be stalked in their lifetime. About 50% of all stalking victims report their stalking to the police. Those not reporting said they did not think stalking was a police matter. They doubted that the police could do anything to help.

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How Often Do Criminal and Civil Sanctions Occur?
About 28% of female stalking victims and about 10% of male stalking victims obtain protective orders against their stalkers. 69% of female victims and 81% of male victims had the protective order violated. About 12% of all stalking cases result in criminal prosecution.

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Do Protective Orders Help Discourage Stalking?
In some cases protective orders do discourage the unwanted contact. At the same time, these orders assist law enforcement in building the strongest possible case. However, a protective order should be obtained as part of an overall safety plan. Stalkers do NOT respect boundaries. Be aware that for some stalkers a protective order can escalate the situation for the victim. In WV violation of a protective order may be punishable by confinement in a regional or county jail for as long as one year and by a fine not to exceed $2000. Possessing a firearm while a protective order is in effect may be a criminal offense under WV Code §61-7-7.

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How Does Stalking Affect Victims?
30% of female stalking victims and 20% of male stalking victims seek psychological counseling as a result of their victimization. Stalking victims are significantly more likely than nonstalking victims to live in fear of their personal safety.

Victims of stalking report feelings of powerlessness, jumpiness, shakes, panic attacks, hypervigilance, exaggerated startle response, chronic sleep disturbances, appetite disturbances, persistent nausea and excessive fatigue.

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When and Why Does Stalking Stop?
The average stalking case lasts 1.8 years. Nearly 20% of all stalking victims move to new locations to escape their stalkers. 18% of victims said the stalking stopped because their stalker got a new partner.

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	Stalking
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