The Department of Justice, Bureau of Justice Statistics recently released a supplemental report to the National Crime Victimization Survey focused on Stalking Victimization in the United States. This Supplemental Victimization Survey (SVS) to the National Crime Victimization Survey (NCVS) is the most comprehensive study of stalking to date and confirms that stalking is pervasive, women are at higher risk of being stalked, and there is a dangerous intersection between stalking and more violent crimes.

The SVS was specifically developed, with funding from OVW, to provide national-level data on the crime of stalking. As a result of this study, OVW is even more committed to addressing the crime of stalking by providing safety to victims and holding perpetrators accountable.

The SVS identified seven types of harassing or unwanted behaviors consistent with stalking, and individuals were classified as stalking victims if they responded that they experienced two or more of these behaviors on two or more separate occasions. In addition, the individuals must have reported fear for their safety or that of a family member as a result of the course of conduct, or they must have experienced additional threatening behaviors that would cause a reasonable person to feel fear. The SVS measured the following:

• making unwanted phone calls;
• sending unsolicited or unwanted letters or e-mails;
• following or spying on the victim;
• showing up at a place where they had no reason to be;
• waiting at places for the victim;
• leaving unwanted items, presents, or flowers;
• posting information or spreading rumors about the victim on the internet, in a public place, or by word of mouth.

Some of the SVS: Stalking Victimization in the United States Report findings include:

• During a 12 month period an estimated 3.4 million persons age 18 or older were victims of stalking.
• Females experienced 20 stalking victimizations per 1,000 females age 18 or older.
• The rate of stalking victimizations for males was approximately 7 per 1,000 males age 18 or older.
• Persons age 18 to 19 and 20 to 24 experienced the highest rates of stalking victimization
• One in 7 victims reported they moved as a result of the stalking.
• Approximately 60% do not report victimization to the police.

Stalking can be defined as a pattern of repeated and unwanted attention, harassment, contact, or any other course of conduct directed at a specific person that would cause a reasonable person to feel fear.

It is a course of conduct that can include:

• Repeated, unwanted, intrusive, and frightening communications from the perpetrator by phone, mail, and/or email
• Repeatedly leaving or sending victim unwanted items, presents, or flowers
• Following or laying in wait for the victim at places such as home, school, work, or recreation place
• Making direct or indirect threats to harm the victim, the victim's children, relatives, friends, or pets.
• Damaging or threatening to damage the victim's property
• Harassing victim through the internet
• Posting information or spreading rumors about the victim on the internet, in a public place, or by word of mouth
• Obtaining personal information about the victim by accessing public records, using internet search services, hiring private investigators, going through the victim's garbage, following the victim, contacting victim's friends, family work, or neighbors, etc.

Source: Stalking Resource Center, National Center for Victims of Crime

Stalking Awareness Month gives us the opportunity to learn about this crime that continues to disrupt and victimize people from all walks of life and in every community throughout America. Each year, more than one million women and nearly 400,000 men in the United States are victims of stalking. The Office on Violence Against Women , in partnership with the National Center for Victims of Crime's Stalking Resource Center, encourages communities to focus attention on the serious and deadly crime of stalking. This year's theme, "Stalking: Know It. Name It. Stop It." challenges communities to combat stalking by learning more about the dynamics of stalking. Please visit www.stalkingawarenessmonth.org to download resources, including fact sheets, media tools, brochures, and artwork, as you plan your local National Stalking Awareness Month activities!

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