Definition of Stalking

In South Dakota, "stalking" is defined as willfully, maliciously, and repeatedly following or harassing another person, making a credible threat to another person with the intent to place that person in reasonable fear of death or great bodily injury; or willfully, maliciously, and repeatedly harassing another person by means of any verbal, electronic, digital media, mechanical, telegraphic, or written communication.

Stalking Victimization


  • 7.5 million people are stalked in one year in the United States.
  • 15% of women and 6% of men have experienced stalking victimization at some point during their lifetime in which they felt very fearful or believed that they or someone close to them would be harmed or killed.
  • The majority of stalking victims are stalked by someone they know: 61% of female victims and 44% of male victims of stalking are stalked by a current or former intimate partner, 25% of female victims and 32% of male victims are stalked by an acquaintance.
  • About half of all victims of stalking indicated that they were stalked before the age of 25. About 14% of female victims and 16% of male victims experienced stalking between the ages of 11 and 17.
  • Approaching the victim or showing up in places when the victim didn’t want them to be there; making unwanted telephone calls; leaving the victim unwanted messages (text or voice); and watching or following the victim from a distance, or spying on the victim with a listening device, camera, or global positioning system were the most commonly reported stalker tactics by both female and male victims of stalking.
[Matthew J. Breiding et al., “Prevalence and Characteristics of Sexual Violence, Stalking, and Intimate Partner Violence Victimization - National Intimate Partner and Sexual Violence Survey, United States, 2011”, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Morbidity and Morality Weekly Report, Vol. 63, No. 8 (2014)]
  • 46% of stalking victims experience at least one unwanted contact per week.
  • 11% of stalking victims have been stalked for 5 years or more.
[Katrina Baum et al., “Stalking Victimization in the United States,” (Washington, DC: Bureau of Justice Statistics, 2009).]

If you are a victim of stalking, it can be critical to maintain a log of stalking-related incidents and behavior, especially if you choose to engage with the criminal or civil justice system - This Stalking Incident and Behavior Log will help you to record this information. 

Articles and links

Recently, a great article was posted at Domestic Shelters.org that answers the question "How can I stop my cyberstalker?" The link is as follows: www.domesticshelters.org/domestic-violence-articles-information/ask-amanda-how-can-i-stop-my-cyberstalker