Many states have amended these stalking statutes to broaden definitions, refine wording, stiffen penalties, and emphasize the suspect's pattern of activity.In most states, to charge and convict a defendant of stalking, several elements must be proved A course of conduct is a series of acts that, viewed collectively, present a pattern of behavior. Westport, Conn.: Quorum Books.In general, stalking victims are women from all walks of life. They include the desire for contact and control, obsession, jealousy, and anger and stem from the real or imagined relationship between the victim and the stalker. Lamplugh, Diana, and Paul Infield. In a small number of situations, the stalker and the victim do not know one another. Some are trying to end a relationship with a man, often one who has been abusive. You can easily access fun content on the Mystalk site. Cases involving celebrities and other public figures usually fall into this category.Advocates of battered women have estimated that up to 80 percent of stalking cases occur in a domestic context, though there is little data on how many stalkers and victims are former intimates, how many murdered women were stalked beforehand, or how many stalking incidents overlap with Research also indicates that teenagers are subjected to stalking and that they have difficulty extricating themselves from such situations. This information should not be considered complete, up to date, and is not intended to be used in place of a visit, consultation, or advice of a legal, medical, or any other professional. 2003. All content on this website, including dictionary, thesaurus, literature, geography, and other reference data is for informational purposes only. A stalk is a long, vertical stem or connecting part of a plant. The more troublesome stalker may exhibit a personality disorder, such as obsessive-compulsive behavior, which leads him to devote an inordinate amount of time to writing notes and letters to the intended target, tracking the victim's movements, or traveling in an attempt to achieve an encounter.The potentially dangerous consequences and the terrifying helplessness victims experienced led to calls for legislation criminalizing stalking. These include the Full Faith and Protection provisions of the Despite the nationwide awareness of stalking and the response of the criminal justice system, many women do not report these crimes to police. A stem or main axis of a herbaceous plant. "Identifying Stalking: The Relevance of Intent in Commonsense Reasoning." Many stalkers stop their activity when confronted by police intervention, but some do not. 2. stalk: See: approach , chase , hunt , perambulate , pursuit If the defendant violates the protection order, a court may hold him in Protective orders can serve as the first formal means of intervening in a stalking situation. However, enforcement of a protection order has proved difficult, leaving the victim with not much more than a legal document to try to restrain a violent stalker.Many states have both misdemeanor and felony classifications for stalking. "Harmonising Anti-Stalking Laws." The stalker may feel intense attraction or extreme hatred. Disclaimer. In these states, if the victim is reasonably frightened by the alleged perpetrator's conduct, the intent element of the crime has been met.Defendants have challenged the constitutionality of anti-stalking statutes in many states. All content on this website, including dictionary, thesaurus, literature, geography, and other reference data is for informational purposes only. Even when the suspect had followed his victim, sent her hate mail, or behaved in a threatening manner, the police were without legal recourse. 1996. 2002. The case drew extensive media coverage and revealed how widespread a problem stalking was to both celebrity and noncelebrity victims. Many states do not require proof that the defendant intended to cause fear as long as he intended to commit the act that resulted in fear.