Stalking Essay, Intake Form, and Assessment Form
PART 1: Stalking Essay
In recent decades, the numbers of intimate-based crimes, especially stalking, have experienced a steady increase. Stalking is a harassing and/or threatening behavior, for example following someone or harassment through telephones or online platforms that a person repeatedly engages. Stalking became a crime in the federal eyes through the Crime and Control Act of 1994. According to a study conducted by the Center for disease Control (2014) found that fifteen percent of women and six percent of men had undergone some form of stalking in their life. Additionally, National Center for Victims of Crime estimates that over one million women and over three-hundred and fifty thousand men experience stalking annually (Walters et al., 2011, p. xx).Recognizing the common indicators and signs of stalking and stalking behavior is crucial for effective and immediate response to help the victims of this life-altering crime. Furthermore, stalking intake and assessment forms are created to help relevant authorities in responding and helping victims of stalking.
Criminal Definition of Stalking and State Statute
Stalking first got legal attention when California enacted the first specific stalking law in 1990. According to the United States Government, stalking is an unwanted and unwarranted course of conduct focused at a person. This course of action/ conduct makes the individual to reasonably fear for his life, or afraid of serious body damage to him or an immediate family member including the spouse or intimate partner. Furthermore, these course of conduct is stalking is it attempts to cause, or would reasonably expected to cause significant emotional stress to the person or their close family relatives (National Coalition Against Domestic Violence, 2017). The law got expanded in 2018 through the PAWS Act that included conduct that leads a person to be reasonably afraid that their pets may be killed or caused serious body damage. With the advent of technology, stalkers have also found new platforms on which to perpetrate their crime. Nearly all the states and the District of Colombia have enacted anti-stalking, harassment and slander laws to address cyber stalking.
Recognizing Signs of Stalking
As with most crimes, understanding the signs of stalking is paramount to come up with relevant remedies of stopping the crime and helping the victims. Although most stalking cases do not end up in bodily harm, the threat is real with potential fatal consequences to warrant awareness of the issue. It is important for victims to know the indicators of stalking to take the necessary precautions to protect themselves and their loved ones (Jennings-Edquist, 2020). Understanding these signs also helps law enforcement to come up with effective strategies and tactics of combating this crime before it comes to an awful end with the death of the victim. Some of the common signs of stalking include (Spence-Diehl, 1999, 3-6): persistent attempts to make contact, either directly or by text, calls, email or other online platforms, despite being told to stop, following and/or showing up at places the victim frequents, threatening the victim, their family members, property, pets or themselves and defamation and objectification of the victim.
Understanding Stalking Behavior
Understanding Behavior related to stalking is necessary for all office personnel. It is critical for them to know the potential traits of someone who may be stalking them. Jealousy, narcissism, obsession and compulsiveness, manipulation, deception and inability to cope with rejection are some of the classic behavioral traits of stalkers (Spence-Diehl, 1999, p. 9). Also, understanding the relevant regulations and laws that govern stalking is necessary for all office personnel. This understanding allows them to know potential channels and remedies that the victim can pursue. Finally, understanding the relationship between the stalker and victim is also critical. According to the National Criminal Justice Reference Service (NCJRS, 2000), there are four categories of stalking based on the relationship between the stalker and the victim. These categories include simple obsessional stalking, love obsession stalking, Erotomania stalking and vengeance stalking. Understanding these patterns helps office personnel to identify and respond appropriately to stalking incidents.
Helping Stalking Victims
Each stalking case is different with different motives and objectives. As such, coming up with a unified response strategy for stalking cases is not practical. Therefore, the best assistance someone could offer to stalking victims is to advise them to seek assistance from victim service professionals or to report the matter to the police. Spitzberg and Cupach developed a framework for helping victims of stalking (Spitzberg & Cupach, 2003). They categorized these strategies into five groups including: Moving inward which is victim-centered support like using drug and therapists, moving outward for example seeking social or legal assistance like restraining orders, moving towards or attempting to reason with the perpetrator. Others include moving against, for example threatening to harm the stalker, and finally is attempting to escape the stalker by moving to a new location.