Stalking occurs when any person willfully, maliciously and repeatedly follows or harasses another and makes a credible threat with the intent to place that person in reasonable fear for his/her safety or the safety of his/her immediate family.
Stalking is unwanted and/or repeated surveillance or contact by an individual or group toward another person. Stalking behaviors are interrelated to harassment and intimidation and may include following the victim in person and/or monitoring them. The term stalking is used with some differing definitions in psychiatry and psychology, as well as in some legal jurisdictions as a term for a criminal offense.
Although interrelated, stalking is distinct from harassment, as it involves repeated behaviours and contact. Some scholars have suggested that the moral wrong of stalking is not well defined and propose that stalking is an attempt to force a personal connection and relationship on a victim. According to a 2002 report by the U.S. National Center for Victims of Crime, "virtually any unwanted contact between two people that directly or indirectly communicates a threat or places the victim in fear can be considered stalking", although the rights afforded to victims may vary depending on jurisdiction.
English
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /ˈstɔːkɪŋ/
- Rhymes: -ɔːkɪŋ
- Homophone: stocking (cot–caught merger)
Etymology 1
Verb
stalking
- present participle and gerund of stalk
Etymology 2
From Middle English stalkynge, stalkyng, from Old English stealcung, from Proto-West Germanic *stalkungu, equivalent to stalk + -ing.
Noun
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