Domestic Violence, Stalking, and Antistalking Legislation: An Annual Report to Congress Under the Violence Against Women Act

The report was compiled primarily from a review of published literature about stalking and violence against women, particularly studies and reports commissioned by the U.S. Department of Justice; discussions with researchers and practitioners involved in reducing violence against women; and case law analysis of antistalking laws. Chapter 1 focuses on stalking, discussing the history of the stalking issue and the enactment of antistalking legislation. The second chapter examines stalking in more detail, primarily as it occurs in domestic violence situations, and reviews information currently available on antistalking legislation, the characteristics of stalking, constitutional challenges to the legislation, and anecdotal information about the impact of the laws. Chapter 3 discusses interventions for domestic violence and stalking, including community policing, arrest and protection orders, collaborative court approaches and other multidisciplinary techniques, as well as threat assessment procedures. Chapter 4 concludes the report with an overview of research and programs designed to increase understanding about crimes against women, including stalking, and ways to prevent and respond to them. Appendixes provide stalking code citations by State and an analysis of constitutional challenges to the statutes as of January 1996; a model antistalking code and recommendations for further actions; a 37-item selected bibliography; and charts that profile statutory threat and intent requirements.