Stalking in the States

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Stalking Legislation

Describing the prevalence of stalking has challenges in that there is currently no law enforcement data collection instrument at the national level that includes stalking. The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), who sets the standards for law enforcement reporting, does not collect stalking data. In the Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR) summary system, these offenses are included in the 'Other Assault' category, while the National Incident-Based Data Reporting System (NIBRS) includes stalking offenses in the 'Intimidation' category. While the FBI's documentation has not been updated since 2000, neither the UCR Handbook, the Data Collection Guidelines, nor the Data Submission Guidelines include a definition of stalking. Stalking is included in the 1994 Violence Against Women Act, which was intended to act as a model for state statutes. There appears to be a wide range of variation from state to state, however.