2 Jan 08 January, USA National Stalking Awareness Month
January, USA National Stalking Awareness Month
FOR RELEASE: December 19, 2007
CONTACT:
Elizabeth Alexander (Biden)
202-224-5042
Kevin Kelley (Collins)
202-224-2523
BIDEN, COLLINS Resolution Designates January as National Stalking
Awareness Month
Washington, DC U.S. Senators Joseph R. Biden, Jr. (D-DE) and Susan
Collins (R-ME) introduced a resolution designating January as National
Stalking Awareness Month. This is the fifth consecutive year the
Senate has considered the resolution, which applauds the efforts of
policymakers, law enforcement officers, victim service providers, and
other groups that currently promote stalking awareness.
"Stalking is not a one-time occurrence; this is a crime that leaves
its victim fearful 24 hours a day, seven days a week. No place ?not
even home ?is safe if a stalker knows where the victim lives. Victims
spend their days and nights looking over their shoulder, often
changing jobs, relocating their homes, and even changing their
appearance to escape the stalker," said Sen. Biden, author of the
landmark Violence Against Women Act. In many instances, victims
usually know their stalkers and 81 percent of women victims are also
physically assaulted by their stalker. "January is National Stalking
Awareness Month ?the perfect opportunity for parents, lawmakers and
community leaders to carefully review state and local laws on stalking
and insist that laws keep pace with technology and protect victims."
"I am pleased to join my colleague, Senator Biden, in introducing a
Resolution marking January as National Stalking Awareness Month," said
Sen. Collins. "In my home state of Maine, domestic violence is a
widespread problem. Many experts have concluded that there is a strong
connection between stalking and violence toward women. Efforts, such
as National Stalking Awareness Month, help raise awareness about this
serious and potentially deadly crime."
According to the National Center for Victims of Crime and the Stalking
Resource Center, approximately 1 million women and 400,000 men are
victims of stalking in this country annually. 1 in 12 women and 1 in
45 men will be stalked at some point in their lives, as well as close
to 13 percent of female college students. Moreover, today's technology
has made stalking much easier, as stalkers can design websites to
encourage others to monitor or harm their victim, install spyware on
their victim's computer or plant global positioning systems (GPS) in
their victim's car to track their victim's travels. Other
technologies, including social networking websites, such as Facebook
and MySpace, cell phones with surveillance devices meant for parents
monitoring their children, and running shoes implanted with GPS
devices, may provide additional opportunities for stalkers to harm
their victims. While all fifty states have laws against stalking, only
one-third of states have included language relating to stalking via
electronic means.
"Stalking is a serious and potentially lethal crime," said Mary Lou
Leary, executive director of the National Center for Victims of Crime.
"We thank Senators Biden and Collins for introducing this National
Stalking Awareness Month resolution, which will raise awareness about
the impact of stalking on more than 1.4 million Americans each year."
"We can ?and we must ?do more to ensure that stalking victims are not
forced to live in constant fear and that stalkers are brought to
justice," added Sen. Biden.
For victim assistance, call the National Crime Victim Helpline at
1-800-FYI-CALL. Visit
www.ncvc.org/src for a map of activities planned
around the country for National Stalking Awareness Month and for more
information.
###
Danielle S. Borrin
Deputy Press Secretary
Office of U.S. Senator Joe Biden, Jr.
daniell...@biden.senate.gov
202-224-5042
一月, 美国国家跟踪觉醒月
BIDEN, COLLINS提出决议指定1月作为(美国)国家跟踪觉醒月. 华盛顿美国议员Joseph R. Biden, Jr. (D-
DE) 和 Susan Collins (R-ME)提出一项决议, 指定1月作为(美国)国家跟踪觉醒月. 这是连续第5年参议院审议该决议. 该
决议赞成决策者, 执法人员, 受害者帮助人员和其他团体对重视跟踪所做的努力.
跟踪不是一次性发生的事,它是一项犯罪, 留给受害者的是每天24小时,每周7天的恐惧. 如果跟踪者知道受害者住在哪里,"没有任何地方,甚至包括家
中,是安全的. 受害者总日惶惶,经常变换工作,改变住址, 甚至改变外貌, 以逃避跟踪." 议员BIDEN,标志性的对妇女暴力的法案的作者,说.
在许多情况下,受害者通常知道自己的跟踪者和81%的女性被害人也有被他们的跟踪者人身攻击。"一月是美国国家跟踪觉醒月.是父母们,法律制定者,社会
团体的领袖认真审核国家和地方关于跟踪法律的机会,确保法律跟技术保持一致,并且保护受害者."
"我很高兴跟我的同事,议员BIDEN,一起, 提出将一月份作为国家跟踪觉醒月的议案,"议员COLLINS说."在我的家乡,MAINE州, 国内
暴力是一个广泛的问题. 很多专家已经得出结论,针对妇女的暴力和跟踪密切相关.像国家跟踪觉醒月这样的努力,有助于引起这一严重问题和可能的致命暴力
的关注."
根据国家犯罪受害者中心和跟踪信息中心,每年大约100万女性和40万男性被跟踪.12分之一的女性和45分之一的男性在他们的生活中被不同程度地跟
踪.这其中包括接近13%的女性大学生.
另外, 今天的技术已经让跟踪更为容易.跟踪者可以制作网站,让其他人监视或者伤害他们的受害者,在受害者的电脑上安装间谍工具,或者在受害者的车上安
装全球定位系统,跟踪受害者的旅行.其他技术, 包括一些社交网站, 如FACEBOOK,