January is National Stalking Awareness Month
(Jan. 11, 2007) -- From headline makers to the guy down the street,
stalkers are a reality in our society today, and they must be recognized and
understood. In fact, a group called End Stalking in America, Inc. says that
“Stalking can happen to anyone. Until the general public, law enforcement
and judicial systems understand that, lives will be lost for nothing more
than lack of education.”
While the phenomenon of stalking is nothing new, stalkers’ notoriety has
grown in the years since Mark Chapman gunned down John Lennon, John Hinkley
nearly took the life of former President Ronald Reagan and Robert Bardo
killed the beautiful young actress Rebecca Schaeffer. Security consultant
Moshe Alan says "I don't think that we have more stalkers than we had 10
years ago. They're just getting more sophisticated, and the amount of
information they can get through the Internet and other sources is much
bigger." (CNN, "Technology brings stalkers one step closer to celebrities"
by Jim Moret). While celebrities place themselves in a position of notoriety
and sometimes in so doing place their security at risk, the woman down the
street is no less vulnerable but very much less equipped to secure her
safety.
“90% of all women murdered by boyfriends or husbands were first stalked.
And stalking means not just following someone around but persistent phone
calls, letters, threats, professions of love, vandalism or endangerment — at
home or on the job." (E! Online) “Until you are a victim, there is no real
understanding of what stalking is or the physical and emotional devastation
and impact it has on not only the victim, but also family, friends,
neighbors and co-workers.” (End Stalking in America, Inc.)
