Each year, one in six women and the one in 19 men will be stalked, a crime that will go unreported and on prosecuted. Stalking, an act of one person following, pursuing, or harassing another person/s to cause emotional distress through manipulation. Unfortunately, the actions of a stalker cannot be predicted and many times actions can be threatening, can lead to attacks, result in sexual assault or even lead to murder.
January has been declared National Stalking Awareness month, this year's theme is "Stalking Know it. Name it. Stop it." Although stalking is a crime in all 50 states impact on the victim and as a crime is underestimated. In one of five cases stalkers have been known to use weapons to harm, or threaten their victims. One in four victims have reported the use of modern day technology to track their daily activities by their stalkers.
Stalkers fit no psychological profile and their actions can take on any form for this reason it is difficult to investigate and/or prosecute their crime. It has been found that about three in four victims were able to identify their stalkers as someone they knew. Because stalking is difficult to recognize, investigate, and prosecute; January has been designated the month to promote awareness and reach out to law enforcement's, prosecutors, judges, state representatives, and the public in general with education about the facts of stalking.
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