NEW YORK, Jan. 13, 2009
1 Out Of 100 Americans Is Being Stalked
Survey Reveals 3.4 Million Have Identified Themselves As Victims, Many For 5 Or More Years
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According to the survey, about half of stalking victims experienced at least one unwanted contact per week, and 11 percent had been stalked for five years or longer. (AP)
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Interactive How To Avoid A Stalker Expert advice on handling a stalker, laws by state, and stars who have been targets.
Day was gunned down in the parking lot of the Plantation, Fla. police station.
"He hunted her down like a dog and he killed her," said Edward Day, Olidia Kerr Day's son. "She never had a chance."
While day's story is extreme, stalking is much more common than previous research had shown, reports CBS news correspondent Sandra Hughes.
An estimated 3.4 million Americans identified themselves as victims of stalking during a one-year span, according to federal crime experts who on Tuesday released the largest-ever survey of the aggravating and often terrifying phenomenon.
About half of the victims experienced at least one unwanted contact per week from a stalker, and 11 percent had been stalked for five or more years, according to the report by the Justice Department's Bureau of Justice Statistics. It covered a 12-month period in 2005-06.
The study was described as a groundbreaking effort to analyze the scope and varying forms of stalking, which had not been featured in previous versions of the National Crime Victimization Survey.
The researchers defined stalking as a course of conduct, directed at a specific person on at least two separate occasions, that would cause a reasonable person to feel fear. The most commonly reported types of stalking were unwanted phone calls (66 percent), unsolicited letters or e-mail (31 percent), or having rumors spread about the victim (36 percent).
More than one-third of the victims reported being followed or spied upon; some said they were tracked by electronic monitoring, listening devices or video cameras.
On The Early Show Wednesday, Michelle Archer, a director at Safe Horizon in New York and a stalking survivor, shared tips on preventing stalking, with co-anchor Julie Chen:
"The prevalence of cell phones and e-mails and GPS devices - this doesn't create more stalkers than used to exist, but it gives the stalker another tool in their toolkit" Cindy Dyer, director of the Department of Justice's Office on Violence Against Women, told Hughes.
But it's a toolkit that police and prosecutors can use, too, and some say that electronic record have been crucial to their successful prosecutions.
Nearly 75 percent of victims knew their stalker in some capacity - most commonly a former spouse or ex-boyfriend/girlfriend.
Women were far more likely than men to be stalking victims, and people who were divorced or separated were more vulnerable than other marital categories. People aged 18-24 were more likely to be stalked than older people.
Victims reported suffering a range of emotions because of the stalking. Their most common fears included not knowing what would happen next (46 percent) and fearing the stalking would continue indefinitely (29 percent). Nine percent of the victims said their worst fear was death.
"All your freedom is taken away. All of a sudden going for a run or coming home by yourself - all those things began to be panic," one stalking victim, who was afraid to be identified, told Hughes
According to the report, about 130,000 victims said they had been fired or asked to leave their job because of problems arising from the stalking. About one in eight of all employed victims lost time from work, either for fear for their safety or to pursue activities such as seeking a restraining order or testifying in court.
Fast Fact
Mary Lou Leary, a former federal prosecutor who is executive director of the National Center for Victims of Crime, said she was struck by the persistence of some of the stalking behavior depicted in the report.
According to the report, about 130,000 victims said they had been fired or asked to leave their job because of problems arising from the stalking.
"When you consider the impact that stalking has on a victim's life, five weeks is forever - five years is incredible," she said. "They often have to give up their current life, leave their jobs, their homes, establish a whole new identity."
Leary credited law enforcement authorities with taking stalking serious, but she said more needs to be done to strengthen anti-stalking laws and to expand the resources to combat it.
The federal government and all 50 states have enacted laws making stalking a crime, but the laws and definitions of stalking vary widely.
The survey's authors tracked a range of stalking behaviors, including waiting for the victim at a certain location, sending unwanted messages or leaving an unwanted present.
"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," the report said.
About 40 percent of the victims reported the stalking to the police, and about one-fifth filed charges.
The largest previous study of stalking, conducted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in 2005, estimated that 7 million women and 2 million men in the U.S. had been stalked at some time during their life. It found that violence was committed against the stalking victims in at least 25 percent of the cases.
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- Sorry about the over sensitive finger on the comment button.... just too anious to get this point out.
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- In my case... The judge broke all ETHICAL LAWS (Canon Law 3) to ensure this vile piece of trash brother of hers is still out there to kidnap at gun point, terrorize, beat and lie his way out of a possible upcoming murder. He was beating someone else who filed charges at the same time as I. Plead guilty to Medi-caid fraud to the tune of 1.6 mil dolllars...he was under investigation for/ and turned rat and state''s leading witness in the investigation.He is free! (see Lyman White [ex-atlanta falcon] case Morning Advocate 2002 - 2006...Lyman wasn''t the abuser, but the alledged perp IS named, as using his medical facility to process the 300+ unseen billed patients) and he is still free! What price for justice? What price for life?!I was shocked! Appalled! Demoralized and shaken unto poverty and homelessness because my assailant, whom I knew,(thought was from a good family because his sister is a judge, father worked with the FBI and mother was a community servant.)that, perhaps he was ok to date. People make the assumption that IDIOTS pick these people to date, hook up with or, "tease" in some way. Or, that it was justified because "We" were trusting. HA!
Yea, right, just wait! Unless we address American Terrorism... YOU WILL BE THE NEXT ONE WRITING A COMMENT! - Reply to this comment
- Hi... okaaaaaay... so some folks think its a joke... cool! Until you are the subject. Stalking... and domestic violence is America''s "TERRORISM" and it is an ''obsessive possessive'' nature which is fueled by power to destroy those the assailant feels is threatening "their" freedoms to exist in the same space they reside. Perhaps those of little faith are surpressed because they are not worthy of being ''obssessed or possessed''. This is a ''real'' and dangerous place to be when ''civil right'' and ''liberty'' are taken away. Especially when it is so taken for granted. Ok, I was stalked, terrorized, beaten, loss my home and my children due to a stalker/abuser/assaultuer... (ok, not a word...) but you get the picture. We look in aghast at women and starving children from the banks of the most powerful country in the free world and think how pitiful for them. How can I help? What can I do? I am christian. It''s my duty to give. To help, assist, or to feel bad. You seem to be in awe, like nothing bad ever happens HERE! When we hear entire families gunned down(Jennifer Hudson), and neighbors taken by death...this is NOT something to be taken lightly or, just for the evening news.
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- YOU ALL HERE THINK THAT YOU HAVE EXPERIENCED STALKERS , BUT I TRULLY HAVE. I KNOW WHAT IT IS TRULLY LIKE AND WHAT IT MEANS TO BE STALKED. THERE ARE SO MANY MORE EVENTS THAT HAVE TAKEN PLACE THAT I COULD WRITE ABOUT HERE.
WHEN I WOULD CHANGE MY HAIR-COLOR SHE WOULD CHANGE HERS TO THE SAME COLOR AND SO WOULD THE OTHER WOMEN IN THAT GROUP. I LEARNED THAT WHEN THEY CAME IN MY HOME AND WOULD FIND OUT THE BRAND NAME AND THE COLOR THAT I WAS USING THEY WOULD USE IT TO, SO I BEGIN LEAVING A DIFFERENT COLOR OUT IN MY HOME FOR WHEN THEY BROKE IN AND DESTROYING THE COLOR BOTTLE THAT I NORMALLY USE.TODAY THIS WOMEN AND HER CHILDREN AND PEOPLE WITH HER FROM THIS GROUP HAVE ALL CHANGED THEIR NAMES AND EVEN OPERATED ON THEIR FACES AND NOSES AND CHEEKS AND HAVE DONE A COMPLETE OVERHAUL TO THEIR LOOKS.THEY HAVE DONE SOMETHINGS TO OTHERS AND SINCE THIS WEALTHY MAN IS PAYING MONEY TO HER THEY HAVE MEANS TO DO THINGS AND YOU AND WORLD WOULD SURPRISED AS TO WHO THEY ARE TODAY, THEY ARE FAIRLY WELL KNOWNED NOW AND ARRIVED THERE THROUGH LIES AND STORIES , STALKING AND A SORT OF A BLACKMAIL TO THIS FAMOUS PERSON WHO GIVES HER MONEY THROUGH A PRIVATE CHARITY FUND SHE OPENED - Reply to this comment
- THEY WOULD LEAVE DEAD ANIMALS OUTSIDE OF MY HOME AND AROUND MY CAR AND THE CARCASSES OF ANIMALS ALWAYS IN FRONT OF MY DOOR AND CAR DOOR THIS I LATER LEARNED WAS A TYPE OF VOODOO PRACTICE AND RITUAL. THEY WOULD SET OUT AS GROUP AND EVERYWHERE THAT I MOVED THEY WOULD GO AND SPEAK TO ALL OF THE TENNANTS IN THE BUILDING AND TO ALL OF THE NEIGHBORS IN THE AREA.THEY WOULD SPREAD RUMORS AND LIES AND STORIES. IT WAS VERY DEVESTATING FOR ME BECAUSE I HAD ALWAYS BEEN EXTREMELY RESPECTED AND VERY WELL KNOWN AND BELOVED THROUGHOUT EUROPE BY A LOT OF PEOPLE. I HAD STABLE FINANCES BEFORE WHICH WERE QUICKLY DEPLETED FROM THE STALKING AND SABATAGE FROM THESE PERSONS AND PEOPLE WHO DID NOT UNDERSTAND WHAT WAS HAPPENING TO ME WOULD SEE ME CONSTANTLY LOOKING AROUND ASKING STRANGE QUESTIONS AND SO FORTH.IT TAKES MONEY TO GET RID OF PERSONS LIKE THIS. IT TAKES HONEST DETECTIVES AND POLICEMAN WHO CAN NOT BE PAID OFF TO GET RID OF STALKERS AND OBSSESIVE PERSONS.
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- SHE HAS WIRE TAPPED MY PHONES , BROKEN INTO THE HOMES WHERE I HAVE LIVED AND PLACED LISTENING DEVICES IN THEM AND I WAS FOLLOWED, AND WHEN I WOULD ARRIVE THEY WOULD BLOW THERE CAR HORN AND DO THE SAME WHEN I LEFT.WHEN I LIVED IN VARIOUS APARTMENT BUILDINGS SHE WOULD SPEAK TO ALL OF THE TENANTS AND BEGIN TO SPREAD RUMORS .THE COUNTESSA GHERADESCA IN ITALY HAD INVITED ME TO HER HOME , AND AFTER I HAD ARRIVED THERE, WE WERE HAVING A TEA TOGETHER , THE COUNTESSA AND I AND ANOTHER INDIVIDUAL, WHEN TWO PEOPLE CAME IN THE HOUSE AND BEGAN TO HIT ME IN THE STOMACH AND OVER THE HEAD WITH A LARGE BOARD OF WOOD AND PULLED THE EARRINGS OUT OF MY EAR AND ASKED ME TO LEAVE. THEY SAID THEY HAD BEEN TOLD SOMETHING BY THIS WOMEN.PRINCE FELIPE OF SPAIN WAS IN LOVE ME AND I WAS IN LOVE WITH HIM AND SHE AND HER GROUP APPROACHED HIM AND HIS FAMILY AND CAUSED HE AND I TO SEPERATE FROM ONE ANOTHER. WE ALSO FOUND OUT THROUGH A VERY GOOD DETECTIVE THAT SHE AND THAT GROUP PRACTICED WITCHCRAFT AND HAVE DONE MANY RITUAL SACRIFICES WHICH EXPLAIN HER NUMEROUS VISITS AND REGULAR VISITS TO GRAVE SITES AND GRAVE YARDS, THEY PRACTICED VOO-DOO AND WITCH CRAFT ON ME AND WOULD ALWAYS WALK BY AND MUMBLE SOME TYPES OF RHYMES AND EVIL CURSES UPON ME . I LATER FOUND OUT THROUGH PSYCHICS WHAT THAT WAS ABOUT .I HAVE BEEN THROUGH A LOT AND STILL THERE IS SO MUCH THAT I COULD WRITE AND INFORM YOU. SHE AND THIS GROUP OF EVIL PERSON HAVE SABATGED ME AND MY BUSISNESS AND MY UNIVERSITY.
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- SHE HAS DATED ALL OF THE PERSONS THAT I HAVE DATED AND I WAS DATING SOMEONE VERY FAMOUS AT ONE TIME, SHE CREATED A SERIES OF STORIES AND LIES AND SEPERATED HE AND I AND SHE BEGAN TO HAVE A RELATIONSHIP WITH HIM AND NO PRESENTLY HAS AN ILIGITAMATE CHILD BY HIM.HE IS PAYING HER MONEY TO BE QUITE ABOUT THIS CHILD SINCE HE IS WORLD FAMOUS AND SINCE HE HAS DISCOVERED WHAT I HAD ALREADY KNOWN AND FOUND OUT THROUGH THE ASSISTANCE OF A DETECTIVE(S) THAT SHE WAS PREVIOUSLY IN A MENTAL INSTITUTION AND SO WAS ONE OTHER OF THE MEMBERS, SEVERAL MEMBERS OF HER FAMILY HAVE BEEN ISTITUTIONALIZED.SHE HAS SPOKEN TO ALL OF MY COLLEGE PROFESSUERS AND FRIENDS, IN THE VERY BEGGINING SHE WATCHED ME FULL TIME AND WITH THE ENTIRE GROUP.
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- HELLO EVERYONE,I HAVE BEEN STALKED BY A PERSON, A WOMEN FOR WELL OVER 10 YEARS. SHE IS PART OF A CULT GROUP, WHERE THEY CONTRIBUTE MONEY INTO A GENERAL BUCKET FOR EVERYONE. THEY HAVE STALKED ME ALL AROUND THE WORLD.SHE ORIGINALLY BEGAN TO STALK ME ALONE AND LATER THE ENTIRE GROUP THAT SHE IS A MEMBER OF. SHE HAS LIVED IN MY ATTIC FOR QUITE SOMETIME.I WAS MISSING MY PILLOW AND BLANKETS AND DISHES AND SPOONS AND BREAD AND MAYONAISE AND COME TO LATER DISCOVER THAT IT WAS ALL IN MY ATTIC AND THAT SHE HAD BEEN LIVING UP THERE IN THE ATTIC.IT BEGAN BY HER FOLLOWING ME AROUND AND WHEN I WOULD BUY RED SHOES SHE WOULD GO AND BUY THE SAME RED SHOES, WHEN I WOULD BUY BLUE SHOES OR ANYTHING ELSE I WOULD TURN AROUND AND SEE HER AND SHE WOULD BE IN THE SAME BLUE SHOES OR WEARING WHATEVER ELSE THAT I HAD PURCHASED. I FREQUENTED A CHINESE RESTAURANT , WHERE THE OWNER BEGAN TO TELL ME THAT THERE WAS A WOMEN COMING INTO THE RESTAURANT WANTING TO KNOW WHAT I ORDERED AND WHERE I WAS SITTING
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- Thank you CBS for doing this story. I am currently being stalked and have been since Aug. It''s nice to know that I''m not alone. But it''s horrible to know that what little I can do is not enough to insure my safety and the safety of my family. I currently have over 200 pages of evidence and still the restraining order does nothing to deter him from his actions. He''s broken the restraining order twice already.
I never asked to be stalked and yet--it''s me and my life that must change...and it sucks. - Reply to this comment
- I knew of a victim and they are no longer on this earth. All of because of ***holes like you people who are calling people paranoid and such who reports these sort of things happening to them and no one believed them. The criminal justice system is no help at all to these victims. I will post this message again and again until people take your heads out of the clouds and pay attentions to what is happening all around you on a daily basis! If a group of jerks stalk you for 20 years or longer do you think you wouldn''t be paranoid by now. Of course they were paranoid idiot! Each of you who think this is funny. I hope and do pray, you get whats'' coming to you. You people boo-hoo about the state of the economy and want sympathy and yet don''t have the human decency to feel emphatic or sympathy when someone lose their life! Just so maybe this ecomonical meltdown is the result of being a nation of cold hearted-rat *astards we are getting what we deserved!
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Author Thomas Friedman on Obama's Afghanistan plan and the war on terror.
