This Article Full Text (PDF) References Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Citation Map Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Add to Saved Citations Download to citation manager Request Permissions Request Reprints Add to My Marked Citations Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Sheridan, L. P. Articles by Davies, G. M. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Sheridan, L. P. Articles by Davies, G. M. Social Bookmarking                   What's this?

Stalking

Knowns and Unknowns

University of Leicester, United Kingdom

Eric Blaauw

Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, the Netherlands

Graham M. Davies

University of Leicester, United Kingdom

The current work reviews literature on the nature of stalking. Despite its nebulous nature and differing legal and clinical definitions of stalking, researchers and practitioners are referring to the same phenomenon. Stalking is chronic, consisting of a number of nuisance behaviors that appear consistent over countries and samples. Different categorizations of stalkers and their victims exist, but ex-partner stalkers are a distinctive category with respect to their prevalence, violence risk, and attrition rate. Different samples and definitions and false victimization reports obscure reliable lifetime prevalence estimates, but these appear to be around 12%-16% among women and 4%-7% among men. Stalking has deleterious effects on victims but some of the effects may be the result of stalking’s exacerbating of existing vulnerabilities. Future research should focus on subgroups of stalkers and their victims, on cross-cultural investigations, and on the co-occurrence of stalking with other crimes.

Key Words: stalking • stalkers • victims • prevalence • categories • violence

CiteULike    Connotea    Del.icio.us    Digg    Reddit    Technorati    What's this?

This article has been cited by other articles:

				V. Kraaij, E. Arensman, N. Garnefski, and I. Kremers The Role of Cognitive Coping in Female Victims of Stalking J Interpers Violence, December 1, 2007; 22(12): 1603 - 1612. [Abstract] [PDF]

				A. F. Amar Behaviors That College Women Label as Stalking or Harassment Journal of the American Psychiatric Nurses Association, September 1, 2007; 13(4): 210 - 220. [Abstract] [PDF]

				T. Logan, L. Shannon, J. Cole, and R. Walker The impact of differential patterns of physical violence and stalking on mental health and help-seeking among women with protective orders. Violence Against Women, September 1, 2006; 12(9): 866 - 886. [Abstract] [PDF]

				L. B. Dutton and B. A. Winstead Predicting unwanted pursuit: Attachment, relationship satisfaction, relationship alternatives, and break-up distress Journal of Social and Personal Relationships, August 1, 2006; 23(4): 565 - 586. [Abstract] [PDF]

				H. DRESSING, C. KUEHNER, and P. GASS Lifetime prevalence and impact of stalking in a European population: Epidemiological data from a middle-sized German city The British Journal of Psychiatry, August 1, 2005; 187(2): 168 - 172. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				J. Briere and C. E. Jordan Violence Against Women: Outcome Complexity and Implications for Assessment and Treatment J Interpers Violence, November 1, 2004; 19(11): 1252 - 1276. [Abstract] [PDF]