Right now you might be asking yourself, am I being stalked? Stalking is never the type of situation you want to take lightly. Learn to identify the different warning signs to protect yourself and seek the assistance of law enforcement if you ever believe your life is in danger.
Stalking is considered a repetitive pattern of harassment marked by unsolicited behavior committed by one person against another. Stalking takes many forms, both direct and indirect.
The most common acts of stalking include: telephone harassment, being followed, receiving unwanted gifts and other intrusive behavior. Anti-stalking laws are effective in every state. The statutes cite willful, malicious, and repeated following that threatens personal safety.
Stalkers generally exhibit this intrusive behavior out of anger and hostility toward their target. Many of the cases cite actual or implied rejection.
Recent data indicates 8% of women have experienced stalking in their lifetime, otherwise 1 out of 12 women. Men are not entirely exempt, 2% similarly experiencing forms of stalking.
The majority of stalking is committed by men, with 4 out of every 5 stalking victims being female. Analysts report the majority of stalking occurs between people who somewhat know somewhat know one another. Women are most likely to be stalked by former partners.
There seems to be a direct link between stalking and domestic violence. Many women stalked by former partners have reported histories of both physical and sexual assault. The high number of cases suggests battered women run the risk of being stalked upon ending their relationship.
Less than half of women stalked are directly threatened by their stalker. The vast majority of battered women are however threatened with serious harm, 94% of reported cases.
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