[Congressional Record Volume 168, Number 9 (Thursday, January 13, 2022)]
[Senate]
[Pages S222-S223]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




SENATE RESOLUTION 491--RAISING AWARENESS AND ENCOURAGING THE PREVENTION 
    OF STALKING BY DESIGNATING JANUARY 2022 AS ``NATIONAL STALKING 
                           AWARENESS MONTH''

  Ms. KLOBUCHAR (for herself, Mr. Grassley, Mrs. Feinstein, Mr. Crapo, 
Ms. Hirono, Mr. Tillis, Mr. Durbin, and Mrs. Blackburn) submitted the 
following resolution; which was considered and agreed to:

                              S. Res. 491

       Whereas approximately 1 in 6 women in the United States, at 
     some point during her lifetime, has experienced stalking 
     victimization, causing her to feel very fearful or believe 
     that she or someone close to her would be harmed or killed;
       Whereas it is estimated that, each year, between 6,000,000 
     and 7,500,000 individuals in the United States report that 
     they have been victims of stalking;
       Whereas more than 85 percent of victims of stalking report 
     that they have been stalked by someone they know;
       Whereas nearly 70 percent of intimate partner stalking 
     victims are threatened with physical harm by stalkers;
       Whereas stalking is a risk factor for intimate partner 
     homicide;
       Whereas 3 in 4 female victims of intimate partner homicides 
     were stalked during the year preceding the homicide by their 
     killers;
       Whereas 11 percent of victims of stalking report having 
     been stalked for more than 5 years;
       Whereas two-thirds of stalkers pursue their victims at 
     least once a week;
       Whereas many victims of stalking are forced to take drastic 
     measures to protect themselves, including relocating, 
     changing jobs, or obtaining protection orders;
       Whereas the prevalence of anxiety, insomnia, social 
     dysfunction, and severe depression is much higher among 
     victims of stalking than the general population;
       Whereas many victims of stalking do not report stalking to 
     the police or contact a victim service provider, shelter, or 
     hotline;
       Whereas stalking is a crime under Federal law, the laws of 
     all 50 States, the District of Columbia, and the territories 
     of the United States, and the Uniform Code of Military 
     Justice;
       Whereas stalking affects victims of every race, age, 
     culture, gender, sexual orientation, physical and mental 
     ability, and economic status;
       Whereas national organizations, local victim service 
     organizations, campuses, prosecutor's offices, and police 
     departments stand ready to assist victims of stalking and are 
     working diligently to develop effective and innovative 
     responses to stalking, including online stalking;
       Whereas there is a need to improve the response of the 
     criminal justice system to stalking through more aggressive 
     investigation and prosecution;
       Whereas there is a need for an increase in the availability 
     of victim services across the United States, and those 
     services must include programs tailored to meet the needs of 
     victims of stalking;
       Whereas individuals between 18 and 24 years old experience 
     the highest rates of stalking victimization, and a majority 
     of stalking victims report their victimization first occurred 
     before the age of 25;
       Whereas up to 75 percent of women in college who experience 
     behavior relating to stalking also experience other forms of 
     victimization, including sexual or physical victimization;
       Whereas college students with disabilities are twice as 
     likely as college students without disabilities to experience 
     stalking;
       Whereas there is a need for an effective response to 
     stalking on each campus;
       Whereas more than twice as many victims of stalking are 
     stalked using technology, such as phone calls, text messages, 
     social media platforms, internet posts, emails, electronic 
     tracking, as victims of stalking who are stalked without the 
     use of technology;
       Whereas the COVID-19 pandemic has heightened the risk of 
     online stalking and harassment, particularly among school-
     aged individuals;
       Whereas victim service organizations and law enforcement 
     entities have swiftly adapted to the COVID-19 pandemic in 
     order to continue to serve victims of stalking;
       Whereas victim service providers report an increase in 
     online stalking and harassment, particularly among school-
     aged individuals; and
       Whereas the Senate finds that ``National Stalking Awareness 
     Month'' provides an opportunity to educate the people of the 
     United States about stalking: Now, therefore, be it

[[Page S223]]

       Resolved, That the Senate--
       (1) designates January 2022 as ``National Stalking 
     Awareness Month'';
       (2) applauds the efforts of service providers for victims 
     of stalking, police, prosecutors, national and community 
     organizations, campuses, and private sector supporters to 
     promote awareness of stalking;
       (3) encourages policymakers, criminal justice officials, 
     victim service and human service agencies, institutions of 
     higher education, and nonprofit organizations to increase 
     awareness of stalking and continue to support the 
     availability of services for victims of stalking; and
       (4) urges national and community organizations, businesses 
     in the private sector, and the media to promote awareness of 
     the crime of stalking through ``National Stalking Awareness 
     Month''.

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