NCJ Number
152118
Journal
Police: The Law Enforcement Magazine Volume: 18 Issue: 9 Dated: (September 1994) Pages: 36-39,75
Date Published
1994
Length
5 pages
Annotation
The model antistalking code developed by the National Criminal Justice Association for the National Institute of Justice in 1993 creates a multidisciplinary approach for protecting victims and arresting, prosecuting, and managing stalkers in ways that are constitutional and enforceable.
Abstract
The task of protecting stalking victims is enormous, because the country has an estimated 200,000 stalkers. Although many States have enacted stalking legislation, the laws lack a consistent vision and a supportive database. The model code defines stalking as a pattern of behavior that may or may not include threats but causes fear. It also recommends making stalking a felony and allows for protective orders or bail to restrict movement or behavior. Approximately 80-90 percent of stalking cases are extensions of domestic violence, involving people who have been in a relationship with one another. Most of these stalkers are males, although females form a strong minority. Another type of stalking involves a perpetrator, usually a female, who believes that the victim, who may be a public figure or celebrity, loves her. The third type of stalker is usually an older unmarried man whose victim is a young attractive female in the entertainment industry and who rarely seeks personal contact, rarely threatens, and rarely takes violent action. The first step in handling a stalking case is knowing what kind it is. The other basic steps are to write a good report, to investigate the case thoroughly, to provide interim relief such as an order of protection or a temporary restraining order, and provide tireless followup. Photographs and case examples from Illinois and California