[Congressional Record Volume 153, Number 194 (Tuesday, December 18, 2007)]
[Senate]
[Page S15938]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                   NATIONAL STALKING AWARENESS MONTH

  The resolution (S. Res. 414) designating January 2008 as ``National 
Stalking Awareness Month'' was considered and agreed to.
  The preamble was agreed to.
  The resolution, with its preamble, reads as follows:

                              S. Res. 414

       Whereas an estimated 1,006,970 women and 370,990 men are 
     stalked annually in the United States and, in the majority of 
     such cases, the person is stalked by someone who is not a 
     stranger;
       Whereas 81 percent of women who are stalked by an intimate 
     partner are also physically assaulted by that partner, and 76 
     percent of women who are killed by an intimate partner were 
     also stalked by that partner;
       Whereas 74.2 percent of stalking victims report that being 
     stalked interfered with their employment, 26 percent of 
     stalking victims lose time from work as a result of their 
     victimization, and 7 percent of stalking victims never return 
     to work;
       Whereas stalking victims are forced to take drastic 
     measures to protect themselves, such as relocating, changing 
     their addresses, changing their identities, changing jobs, 
     and obtaining protection orders;
       Whereas stalking is a crime that cuts across race, culture, 
     gender, age, sexual orientation, physical and mental ability, 
     and economic status;
       Whereas stalking is a crime under Federal law and under the 
     laws of all 50 States and the District of Columbia;
       Whereas rapid advancements in technology have made 
     cybersurveillance the new frontier in stalking;
       Whereas national organizations, local victim service 
     organizations, prosecutors' offices, and police departments 
     stand ready to assist stalking victims and work diligently to 
     craft competent, thorough, and innovative responses to 
     stalking; and
       Whereas there is a need to enhance the criminal justice 
     system's response to stalking and stalking victims, including 
     through aggressive investigation and prosecution: Now, 
     therefore, be it
       Resolved, That--
       (1) the Senate designates January 2008 as ``National 
     Stalking Awareness Month'';
       (2) it is the sense of the Senate that--
       (A) National Stalking Awareness Month provides an 
     opportunity to educate the people of the United States about 
     stalking;
       (B) the people of the United States should applaud the 
     efforts of the many victim service providers, police, 
     prosecutors, national and community organizations, and 
     private sector supporters for their efforts in promoting 
     awareness of stalking; and
       (C) policymakers, criminal justice officials, victim 
     service and human service agencies, nonprofit organizations, 
     and others should recognize the need to increase awareness of 
     stalking and the availability of services for stalking 
     victims; and
       (3) the Senate urges national and community organizations, 
     businesses in the private sector, and the media to promote 
     awareness of the crime of stalking through observation of 
     National Stalking Awareness Month.

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