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u.s department of justice office of justice programs bureau of justice statistics special report january 2009 ncj 224527 national crime victimization survey stalking victimization in the united states by katrina baum ph.d shannan catalano ph.d and michael rand bureau of justice statistics kristina rose national institute of justice during a 12-month period an estimated 3.4 million persons age 18 or older were victims of stalking stalking is defined as a course of conduct directed at a specific person that would cause a reasonable person to feel fear the supplemental victimization survey svs which is the basis of this report was conducted in 2006 the svs identified seven types of harassing or unwanted behaviors consistent with a course of conduct experienced by stalking victims the survey classified individuals as stalking victims if they responded that they experienced at least one of these behaviors on at least two separate occasions in addition the individuals must have feared for their safety or that of a family member as a result of the course of conduct or have experienced additional threatening behaviors that would cause a reasonable person to feel fear the svs measured the following stalking behaviors · making unwanted phone calls · sending unsolicited or unwanted letters or e-mails · following or spying on the victim · showing up at places without a legitimate reason · waiting at places for the victim · leaving unwanted items presents or flowers · posting information or spreading rumors about the victim on the internet in a public place or by word of mouth while individually these acts may not be criminal collectively and repetitively these behaviors may cause a victim to fear for his or her safety or the safety of a family member these behaviors constitute stalking for the purposes of this study the federal government all 50 states the district of columbia and u.s territories have enacted laws making stalking a criminal act although the elements defining the act of stalking differ across states see box stalking laws the svs also identified victims who experienced the behaviors associated with stalking but neither reported feeling fear as a result of such conduct nor experienced actions that would cause a reasonable person to feel fear this report characterizes such individuals as harassment victims these instances of harassment might eventually have risen to the definitional requirement for stalking however at the time of the interview the offender s actions and victim s responses did not rise to the threshold of stalking victimization as measured by the svs during a 12-month period an estimated 14 in every 1,000 persons age 18 or older were victims of stalking · about half 46 of stalking victims experienced at least one unwanted contact per week and 11 of victims said they had been stalked for 5 years or more · the risk of stalking victimization was highest for individuals who were divorced or separated 34 per 1,000 individuals · women were at greater risk than men for stalking victimization however women and men were equally likely to experience harassment · male 37 and female 41 stalking victimizations were equally likely to be reported to the police · approximately 1 in 4 stalking victims reported some form of cyberstalking such as e-mail 83 or instant messaging 35 · 46 of stalking victims felt fear of not knowing what would happen next · nearly 3 in 4 stalking victims knew their offender in some capacity.

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few national studies have measured the extent and nature of stalking in the united states the department of justice office on violence against women funded the 2006 svs as a supplement to the national crime victimization survey ncvs to enhance empirical knowledge about stalking see methodology the svs which represents the largest study of stalking conducted to date incorporated elements contained in federal and state laws to construct a working definition of stalking this report presents information on stalking victimization harassment is discussed where appropriate to provide fuller context appendix tables focus solely on stalking victims and exclude the people who experienced what this report terms as harassment persons interested in viewing the svs data in its entirety may obtain the data file from the university of michigan s archive of criminal justice data

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victims who reported experiencing this behavior thirty-one percent of stalking victims reported that the offenders showed up in places where they had no legitimate purpose being approximately 10 of harassment victims reported this type of unwanted behavior also 29 of stalking victims stated that the offender waited in places for them while 8 of harassment victims reported this type of behavior risk of victimization varies more for stalking than for harassment females were at higher risk of stalking victimization than males table 3 during the study period females experienced 20 stalking victimizations per 1,000 females age 18 or older the rate of stalking victimization for males was approximately 7 per 1,000 males age 18 or older males and females were equally likely to experience harassment age as with victimization risk more generally risk of being stalked diminished with age persons age 18 to 19 and 20 to 24 experienced the highest rates of stalking victimization about 30 per 1,000 persons age 18 to 19 and 28 per 1,000 persons age 20 to 24 were stalked during 2006 race and hispanic origin of victim asians and pacific islanders 7 per 1,000 persons age 18 and older were less likely to experience stalking than whites 14 per 1,000 blacks 12 per 1,000 and persons of two or more races 32 per 1,000 despite apparent racial differences no other consistent patterns of risk for stalking victimization emerged non-hispanics were more likely than hispanics to experience stalking during the study period non-hispanics experienced about 14 stalking victimizations per 1,000 individuals age 18 and older the rate for hispanics during this period was 11 stalking victimizations per 1,000 persons age 18 or older marital status the rate of stalking victimization for individuals who were divorced or separated was 34 per 1,000 individuals age 18 or older a higher rate of victimization than for persons of other marital status individuals who had never been married 17 per 1,000 individuals were at a lower risk of stalking victimization than divorced or separated persons but were at a higher risk of stalking victimization than persons who were married 9 per 1,000 or widowed 8 per 1,000 income as with crime more generally a pattern of decreasing risk for stalking victimization existed for persons residing in households with higher incomes individuals in households with an annual income under $7,500 and $7,500 to $14,999 were equally likely to be stalked but more likely to be victimized than were persons in households with an annual income at or above $25,000 table 3 characteristics of stalking and harassment victims rate per 1,000 victimsa population all stalking harassment gender male female age 18-19 20-24 25-34 35-49 50-64 65 or older race white black american indian alaska native asian/pacific islander more than one raceb hispanic origin hispanic non-hispanic 120,068,420 126,431,780 8,047,540 20,346,940 39,835,680 65,886,490 51,400,990 35,515,670 200,874,080 29,853,700 1,695,400 11,317,780 2,759,240 29,522,670 215,025,170 16.9 30.3 47.2 45.7 30.1 29.9 20.4 9.3 24.1 22.7 33.0 13.4 49.3 16.5 24.7 26.9 16.8 51.8 16.0 47.0 40.1 32.3 27.4 25.2 23.1 18.8 7.4 20.0 29.7 28.4 20.2 17.3 10.4 3.6 14.2 12.2 19.6 7.0 31.6 10.6 14.4 16.6 8.7 34.0 7.5 31.7 27.4 21.1 15.8 15.8 12.6 9.6 9.5 10.2 17.5 17.3 9.9 12.6 10.0 5.7 9.8 10.5 13.4 6.4 17.7 5.9 10.3 10.3 8.1 17.8 8.5 15.3 12.6 11.1 11.5 9.4 10.6 9.2 stalking laws while the federal government all 50 states the district of columbia and u.s territories have enacted criminal laws to address stalking the legal definition for stalking varies across jurisdictions state laws vary regarding the element of victim fear and emotional distress as well as the requisite intent of the stalker some state laws specify that the victim must have been frightened by the stalking while others require only that the stalking behavior would have caused a reasonable person to experience fear in addition states vary regarding what level of fear is required some state laws require prosecutors to establish fear of death or serious bodily harm while others require only that prosecutors establish that the victim suffered emotional distress interstate stalking is defined by federal law 18 u.s.c § 2261a marital status never married 79,715,080 married 123,633,560 divorced or separated 26,334,200 widowed 14,318,190 household income less than $7,500 $7,500 $14,999 $15,000 $24,999 $25,000 $34,999 $35,000 $49,999 $50,000 $74,999 $75,000 or more 8,418,570 14,562,850 22,428,240 22,862,680 30,345,140 37,956,910 56,633,800 note table excludes missing data based on 10 or fewer sample cases a b victimization rates are per 1,000 persons age 18 or older includes all persons of any race including persons who identify two or more races stalking victimization in the united states 3

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victims were more likely to be stalked by an offender of the same age and race offender age individuals were more likely to be stalked by offenders of similar age appendix table 1 nearly half of victims age 21 to 29 were stalked by offenders perceived to also be in their twenties and 38 of victims age 30 to 39 perceived the offender to also be in their thirties race similar to other types of victimization stalking is primarily intraracial in nature appendix table 2 most 83 of white stalking victims perceived the offender to be white compared to 66 of black stalking victims who perceived the offender to be black this pattern of intraracial victimization changes for persons of other races despite apparent differences persons of other races were equally likely to be stalked by an offender who was black white or of another race.4 offender gender males were as likely to report being stalked by a male as a female offender table 4 forty-three percent of male stalking victims stated that the offender was female while 41 of male victims stated that the offender was another male female victims of stalking were significantly more likely to be stalked by a male 67 rather than a female 24 offender stalking is unlike most crimes because a course of conduct designed to create fear in another person does not necessarily require that the victim come into contact with the offender for example a victim may receive repeated threatening correspondence without knowing the source of the communication sixteen percent of male stalking victims and approximately 10 of female stalking victims were not able to identify the gender of the offender races include american indians alaska natives asians native hawaiians other pacific islanders and persons identifying two or more races 4other number of offenders about 6 in 10 stalking victims stated that the perpetrator was a single offender appendix table 3 a much lower percentage of victims reported being stalked by two 18 or three 13 offenders relationship about a tenth of all victims were stalked by a stranger and nearly 3 in 4 of all victims knew their offender in some capacity table 5 stalking victims most often identified the stalker as a former intimate 21.5 or a friend roommate or neighbor 16.4 table 5 victim-offender relationship in stalking and harassment all total known intimate current intimate spouse boy/girlfriend former intimate ex-spouse ex-boy/girlfriend known other friend/roommate neighbor known from work or school acquaintance relative stranger unknown number of victims 100 27.6 4.3 3.8 7.1 12.4 44.7 16.7 10.1 9.4 8.5 10.6 16.9 4,619,430 percent of victims stalking harassment 100 30.3 5.6 3.2 8.4 13.1 45.1 16.4 9.9 9.8 9.0 9.7 15.0 3,064,950 100 22.5 1.8 5.1 4.6 11.0 44.4 17.4 10.6 8.8 7.6 12.5 20.6 1,554,480 note table excludes 0.5 of all victims 0.3 of stalking victims and 0.7 of harassment victims due to missing data detail may not sum to 100 due to rounding estimate based on 10 or fewer cases includes victims who could identify a single offender who was most responsible table 4 perceived gender of the stalking or harassment offender by victim gender all gender of offender total male female don t know number of victims male 100 31.7 37.9 30.4 2,028,800 female 100 58.3 22.4 19.3 3,821,140 gender of victim stalking male female 100 41.3 42.5 16.1 888,680 100 66.9 23.5 9.6 2,531,770 harassment male female 100 24.2 34.3 41.5 1,140,120 100 41.3 20.3 38.4 1,289,370 note table excludes missing data about offenders from 0.2 of all male victims 0.1 of all female victims 0.4 of female stalking victims and 0.3 of female harassment victims detail may not sum to 100 due to rounding 4 stalking victimization in the united states

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employment status of the offender forty-two percent of stalking victims stated that the offender was employed during the time stalking occurred appendix table 4 victims were equally likely to report that the offender was unemployed or that the victim was unable to ascertain the employment status of the offender problems with the law thirty-six percent of stalking victims stated that the offender had some previous interaction with law enforcement appendix table 5 a similar percentage of victims 38 were unable to identify whether the offender had problems with the law prior to the stalking victimization one in 10 victims reported that the stalking started 5 years or more before the survey over half of all victims reported that the stalking or harassment began less than a year ago figure 1 harassment victims had characteristically experienced the harassing behavior for a shorter period leading up to the interview 6 months or less stalking victims were most likely to be stalked once or twice a week or with no set pattern appendix table 6 nearly a quarter of all victims reported that they were stalked almost every day 16.9 or at least once a day 6 victim perception of why stalking began the most common reasons victims perceived for the stalking were retaliation anger spite 37 or desire to control the victim 33 table 6 about 1 in 6 victims believed the stalking started to keep him or her in the relationship with the offender and 1 in 10 reported the stalking began while living with the offender not referenced in a table about a tenth of victims did not know why the stalking began cyberstalking and electronic monitoring more than 1 in 4 stalking victims reported some form of cyberstalking was used such as e-mail 83 or instant messaging 35 table 7 electronic monitoring was used to stalk 1 in 13 victims video or digital cameras were equally likely as listening devices or bugs to be used to electronically monitor victims 46 and 42 global positioning system gps technology comprised about a tenth of the electronic monitoring of stalking victims table 6 victim perception of reasons stalking or harassment began all retaliation/anger/spite control mentally ill/emotionally unstable liked me/found me attractive had crush keep in relationship substance abuser stalker liked attention proximity/convenience i was alone catch me doing something different cultural beliefs/background thought i liked attention other reasons don t know why number of victims percent of all victims stalking harassment 36.6 32.9 23.4 16.8 16.2 14.4 9.1 6.6 4.3 4.0 2.4 19.3 10.6 20.0 13.4 6.6 9.0 7.9 4.1 5.7 2.2 1.9 1.8 2.6 30.7 25.7 2,228,050 30.0 25.2 16.7 13.7 12.9 10.3 7.7 4.8 3.3 3.2 2.5 23.8 16.6 5,644,500 3,416,460 note table excludes 3.6 of all victims 0.2 of stalking victims and 8.4 of harassment victims due to missing data details sum to more than 100 because multiple responses were permitted table 7 involvement of cyberstalking or electronic monitoring in stalking and harassment all total no cyberstalking or electronic monitoring involved any type of cyberstalking or electronic monitoring cyberstalking electronic monitoring don t know percent of cyberstalking involving a e-mail instant messenger blogs or bulletin boards internet sites about victim chat rooms percent of electronic monitoring involving b computer spyware video/digital cameras listening devices/bugs gps number percent of victims stalking harassment 100 73.2 26.1 21.5 7.8 0.7 100 72.1 27.4 26.4 3.4 0.6 100 72.7 26.6 23.4 6.0 0.6 82.6 28.7 12.5 8.8 4.0 82.5 35.1 12.3 9.4 4.4 82.7 20.7 12.8 8.1 3.4 44.1 40.3 35.8 9.7 5,200,410 33.6 46.3 41.8 10.9 3,158,340 81.0 19.3 14.8 5.2 2,042,070 note table excludes 8.8 of all victims 7.8 of stalking victims and 10.2 of harassment victims due to missing data details sum to more than 100 because multiple responses were permitted estimate based on 10 or fewer samples a b based on 1,217,680 total victims 677,870 stalking victims and 539,820 harassment victims who experienced cyberstalking based on 314,400 total victims 244,880 stalking victims and 69,530 harassment victims who experienced electronic monitoring stalking victimization in the united states 5

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one in 7 victims reported they moved as a result of the stalking the most common types of actions victims took to stop the stalking from continuing were to change usual activities outside of work or school stay with family or install caller id or call blocking table 8 the least frequent actions taken were to alter one s appearance or get pepper spray a gun or some other kind of weapon forty percent of stalking victims did not change their usual activities outside of work or school take protective actions or change their personal information help from others seven in 10 victims of stalking sought help to protect themselves or to stop the stalking table 9 victims were most likely to enlist the help of family or friends followed by asking people not to release information about him or her 43 versus 33 about 7 of victims contacted victim services a shelter or a helpline table 8 whether stalking or harassment victims took actions to protect themselves or stop unwanted behaviors all changed usual activities outside work or school changed day-to-day activities stayed with family took time off work or school avoided family/friends changed route to work or school changed or quit job or school altered appearance took protective actions installed caller id/call blocking changed telephone number changed locks/got security system got pepper spray got a gun got another kind of weapon took self-defense classes changed personal information changed email address changed social security number did not change behaviors listed number percent of victims stalking harassment reasons stalking stopped at the time of the interview 3 in 5 of the victims reported the stalking had stopped while about 2 in 5 reported it was ongoing appendix table 7 the most common victim perceptions for why the unwanted contacts stopped were that the police warned the stalker 15.6 the victim talked to the stalker 13.3 or a friend or relative intervened 12.2 about a tenth of victims attributed the cessation of the unwanted behavior to obtaining a restraining protection or stay away order emotional impact for stalking victims the most common fear cited was not knowing what would happen next table 10 nine percent of stalking victims reported their worst fear was death twenty-nine percent of stalking victims feared the behavior would never stop more than half of the stalking victims feared bodily harm to themselves their child or another family member more than 7 in 10 of all victims felt angry or annoyed at the beginning of the unwanted contacts or as they progressed table 11 stalking victims were about twice as likely as harassment victims to feel anxious or concerned at the table 9 types of help sought by stalking or harassment victims 14.3 11.6 10.8 10.3 9.2 6.7 1.5 13.4 12.6 8.7 4.0 1.9 1.8 0.9 5.9 0.3 55.1 5,857,030 21.6 18.1 16.7 14.9 13.4 9.5 2.3 18.1 17.3 13.2 6.3 2.9 2.1 1.1 6.9 0.2 39.7 4.1 2.6 2.6 3.7 3.3 2.9 0.4 6.7 5.8 2.4 0.8 0.5 1.4 0.5 4.4 0.3 76.9 all total enlisted help of friends/family asked people not to release information talked to boss/employer talked to an attorney obtained a restraining/protection stay away order talked to a mental health professional contacted building/office security talked to clergy/faith leader talked to a doctor or nurse contacted victim services/shelter help line hired a private investigator did not seek help number of victims 100 30.0 24.0 16.2 13.5 9.4 8.3 6.4 6.1 6.0 4.5 0.7 47.3 percent of victims stalking harassment 100 42.6 32.9 21.6 19.9 15.6 12.4 9.2 9.0 9.1 7.3 1.1 30.3 100 12.2 11.6 8.6 4.4 0.6 2.6 2.5 2.0 1.5 0.5 0.1 71.2 2,432,930 5,857,030 3,424,100 3,424,100 2,432,930 note details sum to more than 100 because multiple responses were permitted estimate based on 10 or fewer sample cases victims note details sum to more than 100 because multiple responses were permitted estimate based on 10 or fewer sample cases might have sought help from someone other than those listed above 6 stalking victimization in the united states

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beginning of the unwanted contacts 52.7 versus 25.4 as the unwanted contacts progressed about 15 of stalking victims felt depressed or sick and 1 reported feeling suicidal workplace impact of the 79 of stalking victims who had a job during the 12 months preceding the interview about 1 in 8 lost time from work because of fear for their safety or to pursue activities such as obtaining a restraining order or testifying in court appendix table 8 seven percent of victims lost time from work for activities such as changing a phone table 10 victims worst fears resulting from stalking percent of victim not knowing what would happen next behavior would never stop bodily harm harm or kidnap child harm other family member loss of freedom death loss of job harm current partner losing one s mind other don t know number of victims 46.1 29.1 30.4 12.9 12.2 10.3 8.9 6.3 6.0 4.3 16.6 5.3 3,416,900 number moving or fixing or replacing damaged property for 1 in 7 of these victims a day or less was lost from work appendix table 9 more than half of victims lost 5 or more days from work about 130,000 victims reported that they had been fired from or asked to leave their jobs because of the stalking not referenced in table financial impact of stalking on victim about 3 in 10 of stalking victims accrued out-of-pocket costs for things such as attorney fees damage to property child care costs moving expenses or changing phone numbers appendix table 10 about a tenth of victims spent less than $250 while 13 spent $1,000 or more about 296,000 stalking victims lost pay from work appendix table 11 over half of the victims lost less than $1,000 of pay and 8 of victims lost $5,000 in pay or more stalkers commit various types of crimes against their victims stalking offenders committed identity theft against about 204,000 victims over half of these victims had financial accounts opened or closed in their names or money taken from their accounts and 3 in 10 of these victims had items charged to their credit cards without their consent any identity theft 204,230 100 opened/closed accounts 110,850 54.3 took money from accounts 105,130 51.5 charged items to credit card 60,790 29.8 note estimates exclude 0.1 of missing data details sum to more than 100 because multiple responses were permitted note table excludes 0.2 of stalking victims due to missing data details sum to more than 100 because multiple responses were permitted estimate based on 10 or fewer sample cases table 11 how the victim felt when the stalking or harassment began and progressed all beginning progressed annoyed/angry anxious/concerned frightened helpless depressed sick suicidal other way number of victims 72.5 42.2 26.8 15.6 10.8 10.0 0.9 9.7 5,574,400 74.2 36.2 25.7 16.4 10.2 9.8 0.9 10.1 5,530,940 percent of victims stalking beginning progressed 68.9 52.7 41.7 22.4 15.9 14.8 1.4 7.9 3,416,430 69.6 46.7 41.7 23.4 15.2 14.7 1.4 8.9 3,406,220 harassment beginning progressed 78.1 25.4 3.2 4.8 2.8 2.2 12.4 2,157,980 81.4 19.4 ~a 5.1 2.3 1.8 ~b 11.9 2,124,720 note table excludes 4.8 of all victims 5.6 of all stalking victims and 0.2 of harassment victims at the beginning of the behaviors and 0.5 of all victims 11.3 of all stalking victims and 12.7 of harassment victims as the behaviors progressed due to missing data details sum to more than 100 because multiple responses were permitted estimate based on 10 or fewer sample cases ~not applicable a b harassment victims by definition were not frightened as the unwanted behaviors progressed harassment victims by definition did not report feeling suicidal as a result of the unwanted behaviors stalking victimization in the united states 7

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about 16 of all victims suffered property damage in conjunction with the stalking table 12 among stalking victims the most common type of violent crime experienced in conjunction with stalking was to be hit slapped or knocked down 12.3 about 6 of the stalking victims had a family member friend or co-worker who was attacked weapon involvement and injuries about 139,000 stalking victims were attacked with a weapon stalkers were equally likely to use a knife blunt instrument or other object and 23 of the weapons used were handguns of the 279,000 victims who were injured in an attack nearly all 99 of these victims sustained minor bruises and other injuries about a fifth sustained serious injuries including gunshot or knife wounds internal injuries or broken bones weapon used in attack knife/other sharp object handgun blunt or other object 138,630 58,850 31,610 52,670 100 42.4 22.8 38.0 about 40 of victims stated that police were contacted once regarding the stalking while 3 of victims stated that police were contacted in excess of 15 times appendix table 13 stalking victimization was most often reported to the police by the victim 83 the victim s family 26 or a friend or neighbor 12 appendix table 14 table 12 other crimes perpetrated by the offender against the stalking or harassment victim all property damage damaged property of victim or someone in victim s household illegally entered house/apartment illegally entered car attacked victim hit/slapped/knocked down choked or strangled victim attacked victim with a weapon chased or dragged with a car raped/sexually assaulted victim attacked or attempted to attack in some other way attacked person/pet other than victim attack or attempt to attack a family member attack or attempt to attack a friend or co-worker attack or attempt to attack a pet attack or attempt to attack a child 15.9 9.5 8.6 3.8 12.3 7.2 2.4 2.4 2.1 0.9 4.3 8.8 3.5 3.4 2.2 2.2 percent of victims stalking harassment 24.4 15.0 13.2 6.3 21.0 12.3 4.2 4.0 3.5 1.6 7.3 15.0 6.0 5.8 3.7 3.7 4.0 1.8 2.2 0.5 0.0 4.0 estimate based on 10 or fewer sample cases injuries sustained in attacks rape/sexual assault serious injuries minor or other injuries 278,580 38,590 52,080 276,440 100 13.9 18.7 99.2 note details sum to more than 100 because multiple responses were permitted estimate based on 10 or fewer sample cases threats stalkers made one or more threats to 43 of victims table 13 stalking offenders were most likely to threaten to hit slap or otherwise harm the victim 13.6 or to kill the victim 12.1 somewhat less likely was the stalker threatening to kill himself or herself 9.2 less than 5 of the threats involved harm to a child friend co-worker pet or the threat of rape or sexual assault stalking victimization was equally likely to be reported to police whether the victim was male or female for violent crime more generally victimizations experienced by females are more likely to be reported to the police than those experienced by males however this pattern of reporting by gender is not observed for the crime of stalking male and female stalking victimizations were equally likely to be reported to the police table 14 thirtyseven percent of male and 41 of female victimizations were reported to the police by the victim or another person aware of the crime the most common reasons for not reporting stalking victimization to the police were that it was a private or personal matter or that it was a minor incident appendix table 12 number of victims 5,857,030 3,424,100 2,432,930 based on 10 or fewer sample cases ~not applicable harassment victims by definition were not attacked nor were their friends co-workers family members or pets table 13 threats offenders made against stalking victims percent of victims number percent total no threats made threatened to hit/slap/harm kill victim harm or kill self harm with a weapon harm another family member harm or kidnap child harm friend or co-worker harm a pet rape/sexually assault other way 3,392,520 1,927,020 1,465,510 462,610 411,830 313,580 242,420 209,770 166,230 151,460 87,020 56,050 511,530 100 56.8 43.2 13.6 12.1 9.2 7.1 6.2 4.9 4.5 2.6 1.7 15.1 note table excludes 0.9 of stalking victims due to missing data details sum to more than 100 because multiple responses were permitted 8 stalking victimization in the united states

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stalking victims report differing experiences with the criminal justice system when contacted about a stalking victimization the most common police response was to take a report more than half of police officers took a report when contacted regarding the stalking appendix table 15 seventeen percent of responding officers gave the victim self-protection advice while 8 of the officers arrested the perpetrator nearly 20 of victims stated the police took no action when contacted of this 20 victims were equally likely to perceive that no action was taken by law enforcement because police did not want to get involved 29 had no legal authority 18 or were inefficient or ineffective 16 appendix table 16 about 50 of victims perceived the stalking situation stayed the same after contacting the police appendix table 17 victims were equally likely to perceive the situation improved or worsened following a report to the police for victims who had contacted police on more than one occasion the survey recorded only the police action taken in response to the latest call a fifth of victims filed charges against the stalking perpetrator appendix table 18 of those individuals filing charges 3 out of 10 victims stated the outcome was still pending or that a restraining protection or stay away order was issued to deal with the offender victims were equally likely to report being satisfied 46 or dissatisfied 49 with the criminal justice system s responses to their stalking incident appendix table 19 and were generally split on the helpfulness or lack of helpfulness of criminal justice representatives with one exception some victims said that victim advocates were helpful 6 during the criminal justice process appendix table 20 table 14 percent of stalking and harassment victimizations reported to the police by victim gender all male total reported not reported number of victims 100 20.6 79.4 1,941,650 female 100 32.8 67.2 3,637,570 percent of victims stalking male female 100 36.8 63.2 892,340 100 41.0 59.0 2,528,990 harassment male female 100 6.8 93.2 1,049,320 100 13.9 86.1 1,108,580 note table excludes 4.5 of all male victims 4.9 of all female victims 0.1 of female stalking victims 8 of male harassment victims and 14.2 of female harassment victims due to missing data stalking victimization in the united states 9

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methodology the supplemental victimization survey svs was administered as a supplement to the national crime victimization survey ncvs during january through june 2006 all ncvs respondents age 18 and older were eligible for the supplement about 65,270 persons participated in the supplemental survey the response rate for eligible individuals was 83 the estimates presented in this report are annual prevalence estimates for persons age 18 or older victimized by stalking or other harassing behaviors during the 12 months prior to the interview since the interviews were conducted during the first 6 months of 2006 the majority of the stalking behaviors occurred during 2005 the office on violence against women ovw and the bureau of justice statistics bjs convened a 1-day forum with experts in the area of stalking and violence against women researchers law enforcement officials prosecutors and victim advocates comprised the expert group also included in the group were representatives from the census bureau the federal agency that carries out survey development and data collection for bjs the purpose of the 1-day forum was to discuss definitional and methodological issues surrounding the crime of stalking determine where gaps in current information on stalking existed and determine how the svs could further research and knowledge regarding this crime following this meeting a small federal working group was formed with representatives from ovw bjs and the census bureau the working group met weekly for approximately 12 months until a satisfactory survey instrument was completed and approved during the last phase of the survey development the census bureau conducted cognitive interviews with stalking victims around the united states to test the reliability and validity of the instrument changes to the instrument were made to incorporate findings from these interviews the name of the svs intentionally does not indicate that the focus of the supplemental survey is stalking this decision was made to avoid biasing the responses of individuals and the subsequent estimates the respondents had to state that they experienced all of the following in order for a course of behavior to be counted as stalking victimization · at least one of the harassing behaviors in the stalking screener · harassing behavior more than one time on separate days · at least one of the harassing contacts occurred during the 12 months prior to the interview · they feared for their own or a family member s safety or experienced another crime committed by the offender that would make a reasonable person fearful see the survey screen questions on the next page 10 stalking victimization in the united states victim perception of whether behavior was stalking the svs screened victims to determine whether they met the behavioral criteria of having unwanted or harassing contacts on more than one occasion during the past year that made them feel annoyed fearful anxious or concerned researchers specifically avoided using the term stalked throughout the questionnaire so as not to bias findings based on the victim s perception of what was occurring the final question in the supplement asked whether the victim perceived the unwanted contacts or harassing behaviors to be stalking stalking victims were more than twice as likely as harassment victims to label the unwanted behavior as stalking 54 versus 21 victim perception of whether behavior was stalking total considered to be stalking not stalking number of victims percent of victims stalking harassment 100 100 all 100 40.3 59.7 5,588,150 53.6 46.4 3,325,220 20.7 79.3 2,262,940 note table excludes 4.6 of all victims 2.9 of stalking victims and 7.0 of harassment victims due to missing data the final question on the survey asked do you consider the series of unwanted contacts or harassing behavior you told me about to be stalking victims of harassment met all the requirements for stalking victimization except those associated with induced fear or the commission of additional associated crimes harassing acts by bill collectors telephone solicitors or other sales people were excluded from the estimates of stalking and harassment standard error computations comparisons of percentages and rates made in this report were tested to determine if observed differences were statistically significant differences described as higher lower or different passed a test at the 0.05 level of statistical significance 95 confidence level differences described as somewhat lightly marginally or some indication passed a test at the 0.10 level of statistical significance 90 confidence level caution is required when comparing estimates not explicitly discussed in the report.

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screener questions for stalking behaviors now i would like to ask you some questions about any unwanted contacts or harassing behavior you may have experienced that frightened concerned angered or annoyed you please include acts committed by strangers casual acquaintances friends relatives and even spouses and partners i want to remind you that the information you provide is confidential 1 not including bill collectors telephone solicitors or other sales people has anyone male or female ever ­ frightened concerned angered or annoyed you by a making unwanted phone calls to you or leaving messages b sending unsolicited or unwanted letters e-mails or other forms of written correspondence or communication c following you or spying on you d waiting outside or inside places for you such as your home school workplace or recreation place e showing up at places where you were even though he or she had no business being there f leaving unwanted items presents or flowers g posting information or spreading rumors about you on the internet in a public place or by word of mouth f none questions used to identify actions that would cause a reasonable person to feel fear 1 in order to frighten or intimidate you did this person attack or attempt to attack a a child b another family member c a friend or co-worker d a pet 2 during the last twelve months did this person attack or attempt to attack you by a hitting slapping or knocking you down b choking or strangling you c raping or sexually assaulting you d attacking you with a weapon e chasing or dragging with a car f attacking you in some other way 3 other than the attacks or attempted attacks you just told me about during the last 12 months did this person threaten to a kill you b rape or sexually assault you c harm you with a weapon d hit slap or harm you in some other way e harm or kidnap a child f harm another family member g harm a friend or co-worker h harm a pet i harm or kill himself/herself 4 what were you most afraid of happening as these unwanted contacts or behaviors were occurring a death b physical/bodily harm c harm or kidnap respondent s child d harm current partner/boyfriend/girlfriend e harm other family members f don t know what would happen questions used to measure fear 1 how did the behavior of this person/these persons make you feel when it first started anything else a anxious/concerned b annoyed/angry c frightened d depressed e helpless f sick g suicidal h some other way ­ specify 2 how did you feel as the behavior progressed anything else a no change in feelings b anxious/concerned c annoyed/angry d frightened e depressed f helpless g sick h suicidal i some other way specify stalking victimization in the united states 11

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appendix table 1 perceived age of the stalking offender by age of the victim offender age 18-20 total under 18 18-20 21-29 30-39 40-49 50 or older age of offender unknown number of victims 100 10.9 41.6 23.3 5.1 6.7 2.4 10.0 349,490 21-29 age of the victim 30-39 40-49 100 1.8 2.3 13.8 37.6 20.8 9.9 13.9 752,690 100 2.1 2.9 8.8 16.7 34.2 21.6 13.7 722,890 50 or older 100 2.0 1.0 3.8 16.3 18.7 34.6 23.6 663,660 appendix table 5 stalking victims perceptions of offenders previous problems with the law percent of victims total offender had problems with the law offender did not have problems with the law victim unable to determine if offender had problems with the law 100 35.9 26.3 37.8 100 0.7 5.7 48.2 23.0 7.7 5.9 8.8 929,080 number of victims 3,410,710 note table excludes data about offenders from 0.4 of stalking victimizations note table excludes missing data about offenders from 0.8 of stalking victims age 30 to 39 based on 10 or fewer sample cases appendix table 6 frequency of stalking during the 12 months prior to the interview number total 1-2 times/year 1-2 times/month 1-2 times/week almost every day at least once a day no set pattern don t know 3,416,100 381,540 565,790 770,380 576,960 204,860 864,920 51,650 percent of victims 100 11.2 16.6 22.6 16.9 6.0 25.3 1.5 appendix table 2 perceived race of the stalking offender by race of the victim offender race total white black some other race race of offender unknown number of victims white 100 82.8 5.2 7.6 4.3 2,582,360 victim race black some other race 100 12.5 65.6 11.8 10.1 328,900 100 45.4 16.0 29.8 8.8 160,400 note table excludes 0.2 of stalking victims due to missing data based on 10 or fewer sample cases appendix table 3 number of stalking offenders perceived by victim percent of victims total one two three or more number unknown number of victims 100 62.1 18.2 13.1 6.5 3,398,630 note table excludes 0.7 of stalking victims due to missing data appendix table 4 employment status of the stalking offenders as perceived by victims percent of victims total employed unemployed sometimes employed/unemployed victim unable to determine employment status number of victims 100 42.1 24.9 6.4 26.6 3,420,450 note table excludes 0.1 of stalking victims due to missing data 12 stalking victimization in the united states

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appendix table 7 victims perceptions of whether stalking had stopped and reasons it stopped number total stalking ongoing stalking stopped respondent took measures victim talked to stalker victim moved victim changed phone or email restraining/protection/stay away order victim got married or started new relationship perpetrator stopped behavior stalker moved stalker was arrested or incarcerated stalker started a new relationship stalker got help/counseling stalker died others intervened police warned stalker friend or relative intervened others intervened employer intervened school staff intervened other reason don t know why stalking stopped don t know whether stalking stopped 3,404,110 1,234,330 1,976,050 263,790 214,150 210,910 187,220 40,390 172,220 129,470 80,580 48,130 9,320 309,080 240,350 163,020 105,490 42,230 501,730 297,230 208,940 percent of victims 100 36.3 58.0 13.3 10.8 10.7 9.5 2.0 8.7 6.6 4.1 2.4 0.5 15.6 12.2 8.2 5.3 2.1 25.4 15.0 10.6 appendix table 9 amount of time victims lost from work for any reason as a result of stalking number total less than a day 1 day 2 days 3 days 4 days 5-9 days 10-24 days 25 or more days don t know 540,360 76,060 51,920 57,540 42,830 24,900 77,350 60,690 78,420 70,650 percent of victims 100 14.1 9.6 10.6 7.9 4.6 14.3 11.2 14.5 13.1 note table excludes 2.5 of stalking victims due to missing data total based on victims who had a job and lost time from work detail may not sum to 100 due to rounding estimate based on 10 or fewer sample cases appendix table 10 out-of-pocket costs to victims as a result of stalking number total $0 $1-99 $100-249 $250-499 $500-999 $1,000-2,499 $2,500-4,999 $5,000 or more don t know 3,358,800 2,080,230 193,060 151,460 90,420 89,730 155,010 91,350 188,110 319,430 percent of victims 100 61.9 5.7 4.5 2.7 2.7 4.6 2.7 5.6 9.5 note table excludes 0.6 of stalking victims due to missing data details sum to more than 100 because multiple responses were permitted note table excludes 1.9 of stalking victims due to missing data detail may not sum to 100 due to rounding appendix table 8 time lost from work for any reason as a result of stalking victimization number total not working working reason for time lost from work fear or concern for safety getting a restraining/protection order or testifying in court changing phone number/moving fixing damaged property 3,388,550 708,070 2,680,470 350,940 320,450 183,120 percent of victims 100 20.9 79.1 13.1 12.0 6.8 appendix table 11 amount of employment income lost as a result of stalking victimization number total $1-99 $100-999 $1,000-2,499 $2,500-4,999 $5,000 or more don t know 296,450 44,340 110,430 40,620 17,990 23,690 59,450 percent of victims 100 15.0 37.2 13.7 6.1 8.0 20.1 note table excludes 3.3 of stalking victims due to missing data note table excludes 1 of cases due to missing data details sum to more than 100 because multiple responses were permitted stalking victimization in the united states 13

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appendix table 12 victim reasons for not reporting stalking to police percent of victims dealt with another way private or personal matter reported to another official not important enough to report minor incident not clear a crime occurred police couldn t help couldn t identify offender/lacked evidence had no legal authority lacked correct protection stay away or restraining order police wouldn t help police wouldn t think it was important/would be ineffective police wouldn t believe respondent/would blame respondent previous negative experience with police perpetrator was a police officer feared the perpetrator afraid of reprisal other reasons protect perpetrator/perpetrator was exspouse or ex-partner contacts/behavior stopped for the sake of the children respondent felt ashamed/embarrassed respondent or perpetrator moved away other don t know number of victims 26.7 13.6 27.2 11.2 9.5 3.0 0.5 appendix table 14 identity of person reporting stalking to police percent of victims victim victim s family friend/neighbor other employer/co-worker social worker/counselor school official security guard clergy/pastor/priest stranger/bystander doctor/nurse don t know number of victims 83.0 26.2 11.5 4.1 2.3 1.4 1.4 1.2 0.5 0.5 0.5 1.6 1,350,130 11.0 4.0 1.5 0.8 5.9 note table excludes 1.2 of stalking victims due to missing data details sum to more than 100 because multiple responses were permitted based on 10 or fewer sample cases 6.9 5.9 3.8 3.3 1.3 17.6 1.2 2,055,080 appendix table 15 types of action taken by police after most recent contact about stalking percent of victims took a report talked to/warned offender suggested protection stay away or restraining order gave victim self-protection advice referred victim to court arrested offender asked for more evidence referred victim to victim services moved respondent to another location don t know took no action number of victims 55.3 32.2 20.1 17.4 8.9 7.7 6.4 5.4 1.3 4.1 18.8 1,343,090 note table excludes 1.9 of stalking victims due to missing data details sum to more than 100 because multiple responses are permitted based on 10 or fewer sample cases appendix table 13 number of police contacts regarding stalking during the last 12 months percent of victims total 1 2 3 4 5-10 11-15 more than 15 number of victims 100 39.7 22.1 12.9 6.4 11.9 3.7 3.2 1,240,280 note table excludes 1.7 of stalking victims due to missing data details sum to more than 100 because multiple responses were permitted based on 10 or fewer sample cases appendix table 16 stalking victims perceptions about why police did not take action percent of victims didn t want to get involved had no legal authority police were inefficient/ineffective didn t believe victim didn t have enough evidence offender was a police officer could not find/identify offender lacked or had incorrect protection order thought it was victim s fault didn t find out until too late other 28.6 17.7 16.2 13.2 11.2 5.7 4.0 3.0 2.9 2.8 36.3 note table excludes 9.2 of stalking victims due to missing data number of victims 240,030 note table excludes 4.9 of stalking victims due to missing data details sum to more than 100 because multiple responses were permitted based on 10 or fewer sample cases 14 stalking victimization in the united states

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appendix table 17 victim perceptions of outcomes after first reporting stalking to police percent of victims total situation got better situation got worse situation stayed the same number of victims 100 28.2 22.9 48.9 1,325,720 appendix table 19 stalking victim satisfaction with criminal justice outcome percent of victims total victim satisfied with outcome victim not satisfied with outcome don t know if satisfied with outcome number of victims 100 45.7 49.0 5.2 169,040 note table excludes 3 of stalking victims due to missing data appendix table 18 percent of stalkings in which criminal justice charges were filed and outcomes percent total charges not filed charges filed still pending restraining protection stay away order jailed or imprisoned court intervention/counseling program convicted or guilty fine was imposed dismissed or not guilty probation other don t know outcome of charges filed don t know if charges filed number of victims 100 71.5 21.0 33.3 28.5 18.0 12.2 12.0 11.8 9.1 8.5 12.9 5.1 7.5 1,329,790 note table excludes 13.5 of stalking victims that filed charges due to missing data detail may not sum to 100 due to rounding based on 10 or fewer sample cases appendix table 20 stalking victim perceptions about helpfulness of officials in the criminal justice system percent of victims who perceived official as helpful patrol/police officer/sheriff 911 dispatcher detective prosecutor/district attorney judge victim advocate someone else no person was helpful no person was unhelpful victim did not provide response number of victims 43.0 3.6 5.3 6.9 7.4 5.7 8.9 36.0 3.3 1,359,060 not helpful 41.9 2.8 3.0 7.8 7.2 2.0 8.0 40.3 2.7 1,359,060 note table excludes 2.7 of stalking victims that did not respond to whether charges were filed and 9.4 of victims that did not respond to the outcome of charges filed based on 10 or fewer sample cases details sum to more than 100 because multiple responses were permitted note details sum to more than 100 because multiple responses were permitted ~not applicable based on 10 or fewer sample cases stalking victimization in the united states 15

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