Readily Identifying and Effectively Responding to Stalking in Family Court (PowerPoint)
Description
Stalking is a crime that warrants special attention by courts because victims report experiencing stalking at much higher rates than the justice system identifies it, including cases involving immigrant survivors. Stalking can appear in any type of case and so judicial officers should consider stalking in all types of legal proceedings; it is particularly important to look for indicators when the parties know one another and/or there is evidence of ongoing harmful contact. Whichever type of case stalking occurs in, judicial officers are encouraged to make specific findings of fact regarding stalking, sign U and T visa certifications, and issue detailed orders designed to stop stalking behaviors, hold offenders accountable, and prevent dangerous consequences. This webinar will assist judicial officers in identifying stalking behaviors and effectively responding to stalking as a standalone issue and as it intersects with domestic violence, human trafficking, and in many family and civil court cases.
Faculty Presenters
- Judge Lora Livingston, Senior Judge of the 261st Civil District Court, Travis County, Texas
- Leslye E. Orloff, Adjunct Professor, American University Washington College of Law and Director, National Immigrant Women’s Advocacy Project (NIWAP)
- Jennifer Landhuis, Director, Stalking Prevention, Awareness, and Resource Center (SPARC)
Please note that this page contains information about the webinar hosted on March 7, 2023, as well as links to bench cards, resources, webinars, and a state by state collection of stalking laws that will be useful for judges who encounter stalking victims in criminal, family and civil court cases. These materials are also helpful to immigration judges and adjudicators to help identify stalking behaviors in the VAWA, T and U visa or SIJS immigration cases they adjudicate.
Referenced Materials
- Risk Factors for Male Perpetration and Female Victimization of Intimate Partner Homicide: A Meta-Analysis
- SPARC Judicial Officer Guide: Responding to Stalking
- SPARC Judicial Officer Bench Card: Stalking
- SPARC, U.S. Stalking Laws and Statutes
- NISVS 2016/2017 Report On Stalking (Smith et al., 2022)
- The RECON Typology of Stalking: Reliability and Validity Based Upon a Large Sample of North American Stalkers (Mohandie et al., 2006)
- Stalking and Intimate Partner Femicide (McFarlane et al., 1999)
- Stalking: A Multidimensional Framework for Assessment and Safety Planning (Logan & Walker, 2015)
- BJS Special Report: Stalking Victimization in the U.S (Baum et al., 2009)
- The State of the Art of Stalking: Taking Stock of the Emerging Literature (Spitzberg & Cupach, 2007)
- University of Kentucky Center on Drug and Alcohol Research: Coercive Control
- University of Kentucky Stalking and harassment Assessment and Risk Profile (SHARP)
Useful Resources
- State Justice Institute (SJI) and National Judicial Network Training Materials
- Judicial Officer Bench Card: Stalking
- Judicial Officer Reminders for Stalking Behaviors
- Judicial Officer Guide Responding to Stalking
- Stalking Behaviors Targeting Immigrant Victims
- Understanding Stalking Brochure – Immigrants (English)
- Understanding Stalking Brochure – Immmigrants (Spanish)
- Stalking Literature
- SPARC, Resources on Stalking for Judicial Officers
- SPARC, U.S. Stalking Laws and Statutes
Webinars on Stalking
- Context is Key: Identifying and Responding to Stalking
- Identifying, Investigating, and Prosecuting Stalking
- Stalking and Intimate Partner Violence
- Stalking & Sexual Violence: Understanding the Intersections
Additional Useful Information and A Full List of Recorded Webinars on Stalking