One in 12 Women Face Stalking

January is National Stalking Awareness Month. It's a grim way to start off the year, but stalking is an issue that's rarely acknowledged the way it should be. 

According to the Department of Justice, one in 12 women will be stalked in their lifetime. This year alone, nearly one million women and half a million men will be stalked in the United States, and only half of cases will be reported. There are several measures needed to address the problem, but perhaps the most crucial are improvements in law enforcement practice and policy toward this serious crime.

Stalking is, by definition, a repeat offense -- it involves a perpetrator, usually a former intimate partner, following and harassing a victim. Although 50 states have anti-stalking laws on the books, it’s actual practice in day-to-day policing that matters. The act of stalking is closely tied to domestic violence, so as police departments work to improve the way they handle domestic abuse, officers should be learning to watch for signs of stalking as well.

Here are some key questions law enforcement agencies need to ask:

Are we connecting the dots? Do departments cooperate internally and externally to ensure that stalking incidents aren’t handled individually?

Do victims feel supported and protected when they approach a department with a stalking allegation?

Does the department have written policies on handling stalking allegations?

Does the department conduct regular trainings in stalking cases?

To make sure your local law enforcement agency is sensitive to stalking, send them a copy of the DOJ’s report: "Stalking: Problem-Oriented Guide to Policing."

You could save a life.

Photo Credit: Hamed Parham