Criminal Justice and Behavior

The fear of violence is among the most common and debilitating concerns faced by stalking victims. This review summarizes the extant literature on stalking-related violence, highlighting risk factors unique to stalking as well as those common to most offender populations. In total, 13 published studies were found, encompassing 11 unique samples and 1,155 individuals. The overall rate of violence was 38.7%. Significant correlates of stalking-related violence included the presence of threats, substance abuse, and the absence of a psychotic disorder. Other strong correlates included a prior intimate relationship between victim and offender and a history of violent behavior. Results are discussed with respect to risk assessment strategies and future directions for stalking risk assessment research.

As concern about stalking in domestic situations has heightened, increased attention has been paid to stalking and other forms of intrusive contact among adolescents and young adults. However, limited information about these relationships from the perspective of the person initiating the intrusive contact is available. This study describes the experiences of 52 undergraduates who acknowledged initiating intrusive contact after the breakup of a dating or romantic relationship. From a survey of 631 undergraduates, 7% of the females and 11% of the males initiated intrusive contact that lasted at least 2 weeks after the end of their relationship. Characteristics of the intrusive contact, the relationships in which it occurred, and those who initiated the intrusive contact are described.

Very little research exists on false reports of stalking. The current work analyzed questionnaires completed by 357 respondents who presented as stalking victims at antistalking charities in the Netherlands and the United Kingdom. After eight uncertain cases were excluded, the false reporting rate was judged to be 11.5%, with the majority of false victims suffering delusions (70%). Those making false reports differed from genuine victims on several characteristics. For instance, they tended to be older and were less likely to report physical assaults against themselves and third parties than were genuine victims. However, such differences were not significant and did not represent mutually exclusive groupings. Current knowledge suggests that investigating authorities and support groups should judge the veracity of stalking accounts on a case-by-case basis, particularly given the well-documented difficulties related to defining stalking behavior.

Perceptions of stalking behavior vary tremendously, yet the factors that influence these perceptions are largely unknown. This article reports on two studies that analyzed individual and situational variables that may influence perceptions of stalking using hypothetical vignettes that varied the gender of the perpetrator and target. The first study varied the nature of the relationship between perpetrator and target while holding constant the stalking behavior. The second study manipulated the degree of seriousness of the stalking behavior according to New York’s stalking law. Gender of the perpetrator strongly influenced several of the safety variables, with male stalkers producing concern for the target’s safety. Determinations of stalking were more likely when the characters had no prior relationship and when the behavior was more serious. Findings suggest that situational variables may influence perceptions of whether behavior constitutes stalking and the assessments of risk or violence potential.

Data from this study are compared with those from a previous study conducted by Sheridan, Davies, and Boon in 2001 that investigated stalking perceptions and experiences in a sample of 348 British women. Forty-two items, representing a continuum of likely stalking and nonstalking behaviors, were presented to women, who were subsequently asked to state which items they had personally experienced. Within this sample, 27% reported at least one incident of stalking compared to 24% in the Sheridan et al. (2001b) study. Despite cultural and legal disparities, some similarities and differences existed in perceptions of which activities do or do not constitute stalking.