Stalking is a term used to describe a set of behaviors that has been exhibited by individuals for thousands of years. While all states have had laws about assault and harassment for some time, the first law prohibiting stalking was not enacted until 1990. California was the first state to make acts of stalking illegal. This law was passed in response to some high profile stalking cases that eventually resulted in the victim's murder. Today, every state has a stalking law which prohibits individuals from engaging in a course of conduct directed at a specific person that causes them to reasonably feel fear or duress.