Domestic Violence and Stalking Logs

by Kelly M. Glenn

Stalking is repetitive, unwanted behavior that puts a reasonable person in fear for their safety or the safety of someone else or causes severe emotional distress. Keeping a stalking log can provide a victim with the evidence they may later need to obtain a protective order and/or a stalking warrant against a perpetrator.

Let’s go over the elements of a good stalking log…

Date and Time

Each time a stalking incident occurs, it should be documented by date and time. It is not uncommon to have more than one entry on the same date.

Description of the Stalking Incident

Each incident description should include the place the event occurred, as well as who was present. Did the perpetrator have anyone with him/her? Did the victim? Were children present? Were there other witnesses, like store clerks or other shoppers in a store? If a vehicle or a weapon was involved, a descriptions should be included, as well as any statements that were made.

Feelings During and After the Incident

Because stalking is based on the feeling of fear or severe emotional distress, it is very important to document how an incident of stalking made the victim feel. To prove a case of stalking in court, articulating how each incident felt is imperative to getting a protective order and/or a stalking conviction against the perpetrator.

Each incident of stalking is unique; therefore, the victim may experience different emotions as incidents occur. For example, a woman who is stalked in the parking lot at work may feel anxious about a supervisor or co-worker noticing what’s going on, but depending upon how the stalking has intensified over time, the very same type of stalking incident a month later may make the victim feel terrified. When alone, a mother who is being stalked may feel one way but may feel entirely different if being stalked while her child or children are with her.

Because each stalking incident involves its own unique combination of factors that influence emotion, it’s important to document them all.

Report Number and Badge Number

Stalking victims rarely report to law enforcement each and every time a stalking incident occurs, and this is for many reasons:

• A victim may feel like they can handle the situation on their own.
• A victim may not think every situation is serious enough to report.
• A victim may feel like a burden if they report every time.
• A victim may not be in a position to report every incident.
• A victim may feel inconvenienced when having to report each incident.
• A victim may not trust law enforcement enough to report every time.
• A victim may be exasperated by the sheer number of incidents that are occurring.
• A victim may feel like it doesn’t “do any good” if the victim has not yet gotten results from reporting.

Although it is understandable why victims hesitate to report every single time an incident of stalking occurs, it is strongly recommended. A victim has to be just as persistent about reporting the stalking behavior as the perpetrator is about stalking.

If and when the victim does make a report, he or she should ask for the report number, as well as the law enforcement officer’s badge number. It will be easier to obtain copies of reports and/or list witnesses for court weeks, months, or even years down the road.

Sample Stalking Log

We here at Criminal Justice Know How have created a stalking log that anyone can save, print, and use. Be mindful to store stalking logs in places where they are safe from discovery by an abuser or perpetrator. Click below to download the Criminal Justice Know How Stalking Log. (PLEASE NOTE: Clicking the download button saves the CJKH Stalking Log to your device. If your abuser monitors you device, please take caution to delete it once printed.)

Suggested Citation for this Article

Glenn, K.M., Criminal Justice Know How, LLC, October 2020, Domestic Violence and Stalking Logs. https://criminaljusticeknowhow.com/stalking-logs/.