Message from the Prosecutor

January is National Stalking Awareness Month

Stalking is a dangerous and terrifying crime with 3.4 million victims each year in the United States. Rather than a single act, stalking is a series of acts intended to intimidate a specific person. Stalking can consist of assaults, threats, burglary, animal abuse, vandalism, unwanted gifts and following the victim. Sometimes, stalkers even murder their victims.

Consider the following facts:

• 3 in 4 stalking victims are stalked by someone they know

• Almost half of all stalking victims experience at least one unwanted contact per week

• 30% of stalking victims are stalked by a current or former intimate partner

• Stalking victims have a greater incidence of anxiety, insomnia, social dysfunction and severe depression

In the State of Ohio, stalking is a felony if the stalker:

• Threatened physical harm while stalking,

• Trespasses on the land or premises where the victim works or attends school,

• Has a history of violence toward the victim or any other person,

• Had a deadly weapon on their person while stalking,

• Caused serious physical harm to the victim’s property,

• Prior to stalking the current victim, was determined to represent a substantial risk of physical harm to others by recent homicidal or other violent behavior, or

• There was a protection order in place at the time of the stalking.

This month, recognize National Stalking Awareness Month by following this year’s theme, “Stalking: Know It. Name It. Stop It.” The more you know about stalking, the more you can do to stop it.