Summary Of Stalking

The following article is both interesting and informative when it comes to the final paper product as it deals specifically with laws against stalking; the following research examines and evaluates the anti-stalking laws in place around the United States along with their effectiveness. Richard A. Lingg compares the other set of the anti-stalking statutes around the country with that of California, one of the first states to enact stalking laws and make it a punishable offense in the 90’s, in doing so he spilt the laws into two groups; one where other states have adopted California’s law with no modifications and the other is roughly based on the original law but has a broader range. The original California law and the states that adopted it

Domestic violence has become a very controversial crime in the United States. Although domestic violence has been around for many years, society now sees it as a threat to our homes. This type of crime is unique because it’s a nondiscriminatory crime; it can happen to anyone at any time. Domestic violence is also a dark figure crime, which means that it is a crime least reported to the police. In this paper, I discuss how race, class and gender influence domestic violence. I begin with briefly discussing the different types of abuse within domestic violence and the two types of restraining orders that

1 in 7 women and 1 in 18 men have been stalked by an intimate partner during their lifetime to the point in which they felt very fearful or believed that they or someone close to them would be harmed or killed

As mentioned earlier, most of these studies were done regarding females who had already filed for a protective order, who were Caucasian, and in their early 30s. However protective orders do not stop stalking and some females do not have the courage to go get the protective order to help protect them against their current or former romantic partner. Although all of these studies focus on females, males are just as susceptible to experience stalking and other forms of abuse. Finally while most victims of stalking are Caucasian females, stalking can span across all races, ages, and level of education. Percentages are shown so one can see that it really does and can happen to anyone.

In this book, Dunn approaches the cold hard facts to intimate stalking, and the effect it has on its’ victims. Using first hand interviews and prior research, the book introduces all the different stages of stalking, as well as the different effects that these stages have on victims. The book also explores the relationship between the criminal justice system and the victims as well. Dunn highlights the idea of “secondary victimization” explaining that many of these women struggle with the justice system because they are not being taken seriously, which gives them more feelings of victimization because of our justice system. The cases of victimization are very difficult to prosecute because of the lack of evidence, and reliance on hearsay of the victim, which is difficult because some people use this law to frame their ex-significant others in order to get back at them. The different stages of stalking and different reactions of victims are discussed in the following paragraphs.

Before the increased popularity of stalking being seen as a crime, the only refuge for a victim was a restraining (or no contact) order. The fault with this protection lies in the fact that no action could be taken, as far as arrest or prosecution, unless a perpetrator continued the offense after being served with the court orders prohibiting them to do so. In order to be granted a restraining order, you must testify and have sufficient evidence proving the probable cause that the stalker is directly violating state law with the actions that they are taking upon you. This is why it is important to have documentation of every unwanted incident that you encounter so that you are able to prove the actions and stop the stalker from making further contact.

Stalking is a terrifying and potentially lethal crime that seems to be on the rise in recent years. While the act itself can be displayed in a variety of ways with many different motivations, the effects on the victims always result in some sort of fear, anxiety, and paranoia among others, along with crippling the victim financially. The media portrayal of stalking can lead to misconceptions about the crime and minizations of the behavior by the general public can lead to a secondary victimization and cause the crime to go unreported. Although anti-stalking laws exist they vary from state to state and may not always provide the adequate of protection, even a person convicted of stalking will only serve a year or less in prison if no other charges

Domestic violence is an epidemic in our society with dramatic, negative effects on individuals, families and communities. Domestic violence is a crime that knows no economic, racial, ethnic, religious, age or gender limits. Women who are victims of domestic violence most likely are also victims of sexual assault and, stalking. A domestic violence victim may experience systematic rape in addition to physical and psychological abuse. According to Backman, (p.54) nearly one in every four women are beaten or raped by a partner during adulthood. Three women are killed by a current or former intimate partner each day in America, on average women are at an increased risk of harm shortly after separation from an abusive partner.

According to stalking in America: Findings from the National Violence Against women survey published by the united States Department of Justice’s National institute of Justice in 1998-“About half of all stalking victims over the course of a 12 month period were estimated 14 in every 1,000 personals age 18 and older were victims of stalking. Women were at a greater risk than men. Males were 37% and female 41% victims of stalking.”

On page 60-61, the author had listed 3 signs that Shelby had written of how she knows she is being stalked. Number 3 was “Followed me home from the theatre. The person wore jeans and dark blue sweatshirt with his hood pulled up. Average build. Probably between 5’9 and 6’ tall. Ran off when spotted.”

The actions an individual takes in order to pursue his or her lover has been seen as a form of a complement and dismiss signs of potential dangerous stalking situations. The romantic movies that are being display today show how “…characters in romantic comedies also engage in stalking that’s depicted as proof of true love and passion” (Angyal). The study conducted by Julia Lippman concludes how “watching romanticized, seemingly realistic portrayals of stalking behavior…made women more likely to accept stalking behavior as desirable” (Angyal). However, this can cause women to have no discernment when an individual is showing potential signs of stalking. Moreover, “when women accept stalking myths…they’re socialized to perceive abusive behavior as flattering…”

Some people think that stalking can only happen to celebrities, but in reality, it can happen to regular people. According, to the Network of Victim Assistance, 6.6 million people in the United States are victims of stalking every year, with 75-80% of the reported cases involving males stalking females. Stalking and Obsession is a concept that should be taken seriously. Colette Dwyer suffers from guilt and declares that three women would still be alive if authorities had truly believed her.

Approximately 4 out of every 10 women of non-Hispanic Black or American Indian or Alaska Native race, 43.7% and 46.0%, and 1 in 2 multiracial non-Hispanic women, 53.8%, have experienced rape, physical violence, and/or stalking by an intimate partner in their lifetime (NISVS, 2010: 3). In addition, almost half of American Indian or Alaska Native men and almost 4 out of every 10 Black and multiracial men experienced rape, physical violence and or stalking by an intimate partner during their lifetime. Of all forms of IPV, the majority of female victims reported that their perpetrators were male (NISVS, 2010:

There is a social assumption regarding cases of domestic violence which are often stigmatized by the media and by the overall perception of the impact on the victims. The abuser is often stereotyped as a man who is a crazed psychopath with violent tendencies. This stereotype, while correct in the physical impact of what occurs in most violent perpetrators, does not include the mental health impact on all parties involved when domestic violence occurs. This impact is not only influential on the survivors and children of domestic violence; it is also important to recognize the impact of domestic violence on the mental health of the abuser.

This research paper focuses on the prevalence of domestic violence in the United States. Domestic violence impacts the lives of people from various age cohorts, sexual orientation, educational levels, ethnicities, and socioencomic backgrounds. Studies have revealed that domestic violence impacts the live of one and every four women, in comparison to one in every seven women. Women and children are primary victims of domestic violence when compared with men. Victims of domestic violence often experience devastating effects, such as suffering from extreme cases depression, developing Post-Traumatic Stress Syndrome (PTSD), and dissociation. There are physical scares, such as black eyes and bruises, which remind them daily of their victimization.