The program featured 17 years old Ms. Hannah Perryman, a young survivor of stalking, and key individuals who assisted her case including her mother, a social worker, and a law enforcement officer. Together they worked to strengthen the Illinois law that today provides greater protections and relief to victims. Hannah’s story illustrated the power of an effective response to stalking.
Attorney General of the United States, Eric H. Holder, Jr., Associate Attorney General Tom Perrelli, and Office on Violence Against Women Director Susan B. Carbon also highlighted the Department of Justice’s efforts in this area. In addition, two national experts discussed how to identify stalking behavior, including cyberstalking, and what parents, community members, and professionals can do collectively to stop this crime.
Key points highlighted during the program about stalking included:
- often misunderstood crime;
- invisible, insidious crime;
- often seen as a joke and not taken seriously;
- connected to other interpersonal crimes such as sexual assault and domestic violence;
- often comprised of non-criminal acts, including riding past victim’s home, phone calls, or sending gifts, which, as a whole and in a contextual setting, produce fear in the victim; and,
- dangerous, often deadly crime.
In addition, as domestic violence is often interrelated with incidents of stalking, officers, and family members can seek assistance through the uniformed services’ healthcare system’s Family Advocacy Program, or the civilian sector if outside the catchment area of a military facility. Officers and their family members may also obtain intervention by calling the Medical Affairs Branch at 301-594-6434 or 1-800-368-2777, option 2. Calls will be handled in a medically confidential manner and information will be held in the strictest confidence.
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HHS, Office of Public Health and Science |