Stalking is a frequent facet of domestic violence; it usually involves:

• Repeated harassing behaviors, such as phone calls, which may become threatening
• Following or shadowing a person
• Appearing at a person's home or workplace
• Vandalizing property
• Any other activity that makes a person fear for his or her safety.

While laws regarding stalking vary greatly from state to state, with some requiring a minimum of two acts and others specifying that the threat of harm must be imminent. Some states also classify activities such as lying-in-wait, surveillance, and non-consensual communication as stalking.

There are three primary types of stalking:

• Erotomania, which is often committed by fans obsessed with public figures out of the stalker's reach
• Love obsessional, which involves an individual stalking someone with whom they think they are in love
• Simple obsessional, which is stalking by someone the victim knows

Domestic violence stalking fits into this last category and is usually perpetrated by an ex-spouse or lover, employer or co-worker.