Stalking is a crime that thrives in the shadows, preying on fear, manipulation, and the vulnerabilities of its victims. Observed every January since its establishment in 2004, National Stalking Awareness Month emphasizes the urgent need to address this pervasive issue. While society often minimizes it as harmless obsession or nuisance behavior, this week’s stalking incident involving Caitlin Clark tells a far more alarming story.

The star basketball player was relentlessly targeted by a man who had harassed her with sexually violent messages for weeks. He traveled to attend her games, even after being identified by police and warned to stop the behavior. Clark’s experience is not just a chilling reminder of the dangers stalking poses—it is also an indictment of a system that too often fails to protect victims.

Stalking is far from new, but its recognition as a serious crime is relatively recent. The brutal murder of actress Rebecca Schaeffer by a stalker in 1989 forced the public and lawmakers to confront the deadly implications of obsessive harassment. This tragedy led California to pass the nation’s first anti-stalking law in 1990, with other states quickly following suit. By 1994, the federal government criminalized stalking through the Violence Against Women Act, setting the stage for a broader legal framework.

But these laws were designed for a different era, and the rapid rise of technology has transformed how stalking occurs. Offenders now use GPS trackers, spyware, and social media to track, monitor, and harass their victims, with data showing that one in four stalking victims reported being monitored through technology. The result is an even more invasive and relentless form of stalking—one that is harder for victims to escape and more difficult for law enforcement to address.

Stalking disproportionately affects women, with one in three women and one in six men experiencing it during their lifetimes. The highest-risk group is young adults aged 18 to 24, a demographic that includes athletes like Caitlin Clark, college students, and young professionals.

Stalking also carries a well-documented risk of escalation—76 percent of women murdered by an intimate partner were stalked before their deaths. High-profile cases, such as Taylor Swift’s repeated harassment by stalkers who violated restraining orders, highlight how these offenders pose a public safety threat.

Meanwhile, perpetrators are overwhelmingly male, with a median age of 38 years. They often have a prior relationship with their victims, and many have histories of similar behavior that escalates over time. For example, a Maryland man with a previous criminal history for stalking was sentenced to 33 months in prison after relentlessly stalking a former co-worker, sending threatening messages, and monitoring her movements. This pattern underscores the importance of early intervention, as stalking often escalates to violence.

The psychological and emotional toll of stalking is profound. Victims often experience anxiety, depression, and post-traumatic stress disorder, as well as significant disruptions to their daily lives. Many are forced to relocate, change jobs, or alter their routines to escape their stalkers.

Despite the widespread adoption of anti-stalking laws, enforcement remains inconsistent. Many states require proof of a “credible threat,” making it difficult for victims to secure protective orders. Even when warnings or orders are issued, enforcement is often weak, as seen in Clark’s case and others like it. Penalties for stalking vary widely, with first-time offenses often treated as misdemeanors unless the behavior involves credible threats, weapons, or violation of protective orders.

Federal laws like the Interstate Stalking Punishment and Prevention Act of 1996 impose stiffer penalties, including up to five years in prison for offenders who cross state lines or use technology to stalk their victims. However, these measures frequently fail to address the systemic issues that allow stalking to persist. For instance, the case of a Santa Barbara bail agent arrested for stalking and impersonation highlights how offenders can exploit positions of authority to terrorize their victims.

What are some things the criminal justice system can do to combat stalking?

Stalking is not just a private tragedy—it’s a public crisis that threatens safety, undermines trust, and can escalate to violence. Clark’s harrowing ordeal serves as both a cautionary tale and a rallying cry. Her stalker’s persistence, even in the face of police warnings, exposes glaring flaws in how the system addresses this type of crime.

National Stalking Awareness Month reminds us that this is not an issue to be minimized or ignored. It is a call to action for stronger enforcement, offender accountability, updated laws to address technology-facilitated stalking, and robust support systems for victims. If we fail to act, we risk allowing more lives to be upended by fear and losing control of who’s lurking in the shadows.

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