Stalking

Stalking is a course of conduct involving repeated, unwanted attention, harassment, contact, or monitoring directed at a specific individual that causes that person to fear for their safety or experience significant emotional distress. Unlike a single threatening act, stalking consists of a pattern of behavior that may include following the victim, appearing at their home or workplace, making unwanted phone calls, sending messages, monitoring online activity, or using surveillance.

Under federal law, specifically 18 U.S.C. § 2261A, stalking becomes a federal offense when it involves interstate or foreign travel, or uses interstate communications facilities such as the mail, telephone, or internet. The statute requires proof that the perpetrator acted with intent to kill, injure, harass, intimidate, or place the victim under surveillance. The conduct must either place the person in reasonable fear of death or serious bodily injury to themselves or an immediate family member, or cause, attempt to cause, or reasonably be expected to cause substantial emotional distress to the victim.

The federal definition emphasizes that stalking is not measured by a single incident but by a course of conduct—a pattern of behavior over time. This recognizes that individual acts might appear innocuous in isolation, but when viewed collectively demonstrate a persistent campaign of unwanted attention. The victim's response is also key: the fear experienced must be objectively reasonable, not merely subjective anxiety.

In true crime contexts, stalking often precedes more violent crimes and is frequently documented in cases involving domestic violence, celebrity harassment, or workplace violence. The behavior may escalate over time, beginning with seemingly minor contact and progressing to more intrusive or threatening acts. Modern stalking increasingly involves cyberstalking—using digital technologies, social media, GPS tracking, and other electronic means to monitor, harass, or threaten victims.