Which option best describes stalking?

Which option best describes stalking?

• A. Unwanted and repeated attention, contact, or harassment by the suspect toward the victim
• B. Physical violence toward property
• C. A one-time incident
• D. Friendly checking in

Answer: (A)

Stalking is defined by a pattern of persistent, unwanted attention or harassment toward a specific person over time, which creates fear or a sense of unsafe protection for the victim. The phrase that best fits this idea emphasizes that the behavior is unwanted and repeated—contact or harassment directed at the victim that happens again and again. That ongoing, unwanted nature is what sets stalking apart from other actions. Harm to property describes a different type of crime focused on objects rather than a person, not stalking. A one-time incident lacks the repeated pattern that characterizes stalking, so it wouldn’t fit. Friendly checking in is typically benign, and while it could become problematic if persistent and unwanted, as stated it does not capture the essential pattern of stalking.

Stalking is defined by a pattern of persistent, unwanted attention or harassment toward a specific person over time, which creates fear or a sense of unsafe protection for the victim. The phrase that best fits this idea emphasizes that the behavior is unwanted and repeated—contact or harassment directed at the victim that happens again and again. That ongoing, unwanted nature is what sets stalking apart from other actions.

Harm to property describes a different type of crime focused on objects rather than a person, not stalking. A one-time incident lacks the repeated pattern that characterizes stalking, so it wouldn’t fit. Friendly checking in is typically benign, and while it could become problematic if persistent and unwanted, as stated it does not capture the essential pattern of stalking.