STALKING IN NEW YORK
STALKING IN NEW YORK

Summary/Abstract: In a society people enact laws to protect the innocent. These laws often reflect the morals, values and concerns of that society. In ever changing societies laws too must change to protect the innocent. The United States is a very rapid changing society, and with changes in society come new concerns regarding social deviancy. In recent times, the issue of “stalking” has grown to become a concern for public and individual safety. In response to that concern, both the Judicial and Legislative Branches of Government have responded by enacting new laws and interpretations to protect people from Stalkers. This article will explain New York State’s response to the social deviancy of Stalking. Stalking, in common parlance today, is defined as “closely following and watching another person for a long period of time in a way that is threatening and dangerous” (Merriam-Webster’s Dictionary). As a general matter, even where attempts to criminalize stalking and to punish stalkers have been made, these efforts have often neglected the concerns of the victims of stalkers who are overwhelmingly women. This is not surprising, in view of the gendered nature of this crime, and given that “the politics of battered and raped women [has] become estranged from local [victim support] schemes, the State, and much of the criminal justice system.”

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