[Federal Register Volume 81, Number 3 (Wednesday, January 6, 2016)]
[Presidential Documents]
[Pages 717-718]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2016-00136]


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  Federal Register / Vol. 81 , No. 3 / Wednesday, January 6, 2016 / 
Presidential Documents  

[[Page 717]]


                Proclamation 9387 of December 31, 2015

                
National Stalking Awareness Month, 2016

                By the President of the United States of America

                A Proclamation

                Every person deserves to live freely and without the 
                fear of being followed or harassed. Stalking is a 
                violation of our fundamental freedoms, and it insults 
                our most basic values as a Nation. Often perpetrated by 
                those we know--and sometimes by strangers--stalking is 
                a serious offense that occurs too frequently and goes 
                unreported in too many cases. During National Stalking 
                Awareness Month, we stand with victims of stalking, 
                pledge to bring their stalkers to justice, and 
                rededicate our efforts to ridding our schools, 
                workplaces, and neighborhoods of this crime.

                A repeated display of unwanted attention that instills 
                fear, stalking affects people from all walks of life 
                and makes us all less safe. Seven and a half million 
                people are stalked in the United States each year, and 
                1 in 6 women will experience it at some point in their 
                lives. People are stalked under a variety of 
                circumstances and through a number of mediums. Text 
                messages, emails, and phone calls are some of the most 
                common means by which a stalker will harass someone, 
                and offenders usually, although not always, have a 
                prior association with the victim. Often offenders are 
                or have been in an intimate relationship in which they 
                have abused the victim, and in many instances stalking 
                is a part of ongoing violence. Stalking is not only a 
                tremendous breach of one's privacy and liberty, but its 
                purpose is to cause victims to feel scared or anxious, 
                terrorizing them and sometimes causing anxiety, 
                insomnia, social dysfunction, and depression. It also 
                has the potential to cause post-traumatic stress 
                symptoms such as flashbacks, nightmares, and being 
                constantly on guard. It is an affront to our basic 
                humanity, and in some cases it can lead to more violent 
                acts by the offenders.

                In 2013, I signed the reauthorization of the Violence 
                Against Women Act (VAWA)--a groundbreaking law that 
                recognizes stalking as the crime it is and provides 
                more resources to victims. The Act also created new 
                protections for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender 
                victims, as well as for immigrants and Native American 
                women. Earlier this year, I signed an Executive Order 
                that allows victims to use sick leave for absences 
                related to stalking and that protects victims' privacy 
                in the workplace. In my 2016 budget, I proposed 
                additional funding to assist people being stalked who 
                must make emergency moves to safer and more stable 
                housing. And to build on these efforts, my 
                Administration has implemented measures requiring 
                institutions of higher education to collect and report 
                information on stalking and other crimes as outlined in 
                VAWA. Under the new regulations, these institutions are 
                required to make their disciplinary processes more 
                transparent and to provide ongoing prevention and 
                awareness campaigns for students and employees--because 
                our classrooms should be safe havens where everyone can 
                pursue their dreams and fulfill their potential free 
                from the fear of being stalked or harassed.

                As we embark on a new year, let us resolve to make it 
                one in which every person can safely and confidently 
                make of their lives what they will. By holding stalkers 
                accountable and providing victims and survivors with 
                the support and assistance they need, we can ensure 
                ours is a Nation dedicated to promoting safety, common 
                decency, and respect.

[[Page 718]]

                NOW, THEREFORE, I, BARACK OBAMA, President of the 
                United States of America, by virtue of the authority 
                vested in me by the Constitution and the laws of the 
                United States, do hereby proclaim January 2016 as 
                National Stalking Awareness Month. I call upon all 
                Americans to recognize the signs of stalking, 
                acknowledge stalking as a serious crime, and urge those 
                affected not to be afraid to speak out or ask for help. 
                Let us also resolve to support victims and survivors, 
                and to create communities that are secure and 
                supportive for all Americans.

                IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this 
                thirty-first day of December, in the year of our Lord 
                two thousand fifteen, and of the Independence of the 
                United States of America the two hundred and fortieth.
                
                
                    (Presidential Sig.)

[FR Doc. 2016-00136
Filed 1-5-16; 11:15 am]
Billing code 3295-F6-P