Restraining Orders

Stalking is defined as two or more acts (a course of conduct), directed at a person, workplace, school, or place of worship, where the abuser knows, or should know, that these actions would cause a reasonable person to:

• fear for their own safety;
• fear for another person’s safety;
• fear for the safety of the workplace, school, or place of worship; or
• suffer emotional distress.¹

Stalking can include harassment, which means behavior that:

• has no reasonable purpose;
• would cause a reasonable person emotional distress; and
• actually causes emotional distress.¹

The course of conduct could include, but is not limited to, behavior where the abuser, either directly, indirectly, or through others (third parties), does any of the following:

• follows, monitors, observes, keeps watch over, or threatens you, a workplace, school, or place of worship;
• starts or continues “contact” with you without your consent or after you asked them to stop;
• interferes with, damages, or harms your property or pet; or
• uses tracking devices or tracking information to find out where you are, where you go, or how you travel.¹

Contact means any interaction with you without your consent. This includes, but is not limited to, the following behaviors:

• being physically near you;
• being where you can see them;
• coming towards you or confronting you, in public or on private property;
• showing up at your home or workplace;
• going onto or staying on property you own, rent, or are currently on;
• leaving or delivering an item to property you own, rent, or occupy;
• harassing you through electronic communication, like texts, emails, or social media; and
• showing up at a workplace, school, or place of worship where they are not allowed to be.¹

¹ 740 ILCS 21/10