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Stalking

What is stalking?

According to Pennsylvania Criminal Statutes ( §2709.1) stalking is defined as:

STALKING: A person commits the crime of stalking when that person engages in a course of conduct or repeatedly commits acts towards another person, including following the person without the proper authority, under circimstances which demonstrate either an intent to place the person in reasonable fear of bodily injury or an intent to cause substantial emotional distress to the person. A course of conduct is more than one cat, but may occur over a very short period of time.

STALKING BY COMMUNICATION:A person commits stalking by communication when that person engages in a course of conduct or repeatedly communicates to another under circumstances which demonstrate or communicate either an intent to place a person in reasonable fear of bodily injury or intent to cause substantial emotional distress to the person.

Stalking in the United States

  • 1,006,970 women and 370,990 men are stalked annually in the U.S.
  • 1 in 12 women and 1 in 45 men will be stalked in their lifetime.
  • 77% of female victims and 64% of male victims know their stalker.
  • 87% of stalkers are men.
  • 59% of female victims and 30% of male victims are stalked by an intimate partner.
  • 81% of women stalked by a current or former intimate partner are also physically assaulted by that partner.
  • 31% of women stalked by a current or former intimate partner are also sexually assaulted by that partner.
  • 73% of intimate partner stalkers verbally threatened victims with physical violence, and almost 46% of victims experienced one or more violent incidents by the stalker.
  • The average duration of stalking is 1.8 years.
  • If stalking involves intimate partners, the average duration of stalking increases to 2.2 years.
  • 28% of female victims and 10% of male victims obtained a protective order.
  • 69% of female victims and 81% of male victims had the protection order violated.
[Tjaden & Thoennes. (1998). “Stalking in America,” NIJ.]

If you or anyone you know is experiencing stalking, please contact the Victim Support & Intervention Services, the Counseling Center, the Department of Public Safety, or the Local Police Department.

For more information contact Candace Wannamaker, PhD. at 215-895-0353.