What qualifies as Aggravated Stalking?

Aggravated stalking is characterized by the presence of a credible threat that places the victim in fear for their safety or the safety of others. This definition acknowledges that stalking behavior escalates from mere unwanted attention or harassment when it involves a specific threat that the victim perceives as serious and harmful. The credibility of the threat is crucial, as it determines the severity of the offense and its classification as aggravated stalking.

In this context, the other options do not meet the legal criteria for aggravated stalking. Repeated emotional harassment without threats may qualify as stalking, but without a credible threat involved, it does not escalate to aggravated stalking. Contact made in public spaces can also fall under normal stalking behavior unless there is a threatening component, which is not specified here. Lastly, stalking intended as a practical joke lacks the seriousness that is characteristic of aggravated stalking, as the intent behind the behavior is not to instill fear or to threaten harm. Hence, the correct answer focuses on the necessity of a credible threat as a defining factor of aggravated stalking.