Statistics
According to a study conducted in Louisiana, 67% of stalking victims reported
their situation to the police, 70% changed their usual behavior, 36% moved,
11% purchased a gun, and 11% obtained a protection order.
Kohn, M. (1999). Prevalence and Health Consequences
of Stalking - Louisiana, 1998-1999. Atlanta, GA: National Center for Injury
Prevention and Control, Centers for Disease Control.
A study of the relationship between stalking and intimate partner femicide
found that 76% of femicide cases and 85% of attempted femicide cases involved
at least one incident of stalking within a year of the murder. 69% of
femicide victims were stalked while in a relationship with their stalker,
while for 88% of victims of femicide, stalking started once the relationship
ended.
McFarlane, et al. (1999). "Stalking and Intimate
Partner Femicide." Homicide Studies, 3 (4).
A study that examined the experiences of females victims stalked by intimate
partners found that 72.7% of victims were verbally threatened with physical
violence (direct or implied). Almost 46% of victims experienced one or
more violence incidents by the stalker. Thirty-seven percent of victims
sustained physical injuries as a result. Victims reported that their stalkers
abused alcohol in 57.8% of cases, and abused drugs in 51.3% of cases.
Brewster, Mary. (2000). "Stalking by Former Intimates:
Verbal Threats and Other Predictors of Physical Violence." Violence
and Victims 15 (1): 41-54.
A study of Dutch stalking victims examined the degree to which stalking
is associated with an increased prevalence of psychopathology among victims.
It showed that the stalking victims' scores for somatic symptoms, anxiety
and insomnia, social dysfunction, and severe depressions were much closer
to those of psychiatric outpatients, than those of the general Dutch population.
Furthermore, a diagnosable psychiatric disorder was present in 78 percent
of the stalking victims, and 31 percent of the victims had recurring thoughts
about suicide.
The investigation of the relationship between stalking features (telephone
calls, sending letters, surveillance of victim's home, following, unlawful
entry in home, destruction of property, direct unwanted approach, physical
assault, threats to harm or kill victim, duration) and psychopathology
revealed that the presence of following or Theft/destruction of property
is associated with higher symptom levels. Also, when six or more behaviors
were present or when the frequency of stalking was high and had not decreased,
the levels of psychopathology were higher.
Blaauw, et al. (2002). "The Toll of Stalking: The
Relationship Between Features of Stalking and Psychopathology of Victims."
Journal of Interpersonal Violence, 17 (1).
Intimate
Partner Femicide
Source: McFarlane et al. “Stalking and Intimate
Partner Femicide,” Homicide Studies, 3 (4), Sage Publications, Inc.
Researchers examined the risk factors of actual and attempted intimate
partner femicide (murder of women). The report is based on a total of
141 femicide and 60 attempted femicide cases. In addition to examining
closed police records, researchers also interviewed the victims of attempted
femicide and knowledgeable proxies of the deceased women. Intimate partner
was defined as a current or former spouse, boyfriend, or same-sex partner.
Key findings:
Prevalence and Extent
• 76% of femicide victims and 85% of attempted femicide victims
had been stalked by their intimate partners in the year prior to their
murder.
• The number of stalking behaviors experienced by each woman
ranged from
1 to 15 for femicide victims and 1 to 12
for attempted femicide victims.
• Most women were stalked after the relationship with their
partner had ended. 88% of femicide victims and 68% of attempted femicide
victims were stalked by their former partners.
Reports to Law Enforcement
• 54% of femicide victims and 46% of attempted femicide victims
reported the stalking to police before they were killed by their stalkers.
Physical Abuse and Stalking
• 67% of femicide victims and 71% of attempted femicide victims
had been physically abused by their intimate partner in the 12 months
before the (attempted) murder.
• 89% of femicide victims and 68% of attempted femicide victims
who had been physically abused had also been stalked in the 12 months
before the murder. femicide victims.
Stalking on College Campuses -
The National College Women Sexual Victimization Study (NCWSV)
Fisher, Bonnie S., Cullen, Francis T. and Michael G. Turner. Sexual Victimization
of College Women. U.S. Department of Justice, National Institute of Justice,
Washington, DC. 2000.
The National Institute of Justice and the Bureau of Justice Statistics
co-sponsored a nationally representative phone survey of 4,446 female
students at 223 colleges and universities. The colleges and universities
varied in enrollment size and location (rural, urban, suburban). A two-stage
survey methodology was used. First, respondents were asked a series of
"screen questions" based on types of sexual victimization that
could have occurred during the previous seven months. If the respondent
replied "yes" to any of the questions, they were asked to complete
an incident report. The survey was conducted from February to May 1997.
The screen question used to measure stalking was "[s]ince school
began in fall 1996, has anyone--from stranger to an ex-boyfriend--repeatedly
followed you, watched you, phoned, written, e-mailed, or communicated
with you in other ways that seemed obsessive and made you afraid or concerned
for your safety?"
Key Findings
Prevalence
13% of the college women had been stalked since the school year began.
If the definition of stalking required that the person were actually threatened
with harm--as set forth in many state criminal stalking statutes--the
extent of stalking dropped to only 1.96%.
Victim-Stalker Relationship
80.3% of victims knew or had seen their stalker before.
Duration of Stalking
Stalking incidents lasted on average for 2 months (60 days).
Harm to Victims
3 in 10 women reported being injured emotionally or psychologically from
being stalked.
In 15.3% of incidents, the victim reported that the stalker either threatened
or attempted to harm them.
In 10.3% of incidents, the victim reported that the stalker forced or
attempted sexual contact.
Reporting Stalking Incidents
Overall, 83.1% of stalking incidents were NOT reported to police or campus
law enforcement.
93.4% of victims confided in someone, most often a friend, that they were
being stalked.
Communities of color
The survey found that American Indian/Alaska Native women more likely
to be stalked than female victims of other racial or ethnic backgrounds.
The survey also showed Asian/Pacific Islander women were significantly
less likely to be stalked.
Actions taken by victim
43.2% avoided or tried to avoid stalker
21.8% actions taken but not specified
16.3% confronted stalker
8.8% did not acknowledge messages/e-mail
5.6% became less trustful/more cynical
4.9% got caller ID
4.1% improved security system of residence
3.9% traveled with a companion
3.9% sought restraining order
3.3% filed a grievance with university
2.9% sought psychological counseling
For a free
summary of this report, please visit www.ncjrs.org/pdffiles1/nij/182369.pdf
or www.ncjrs.org/txtfiles1/nij/182369.txt or call the National Criminal
Justice Reference Service at 1-800-851-3420 and ask for publication NCJ
182369.
A complete copy of the findings may be ordered from the NCJRS Paper Reproduction
Sales by calling 1-800-851-3420. This publication, titled "The Extent
and Nature of the Sexual Victimization of College Women: A National-Level
Analysis," is available for a fee. The document number is NCJ 179977
Stalking
in America - National Violence Against Women Survey (NVAW)
Tjaden, Patricia and Nancy Thoennes. Stalking in America:
Findings From the National Violence Against Women Survey. U.S. Department
of Justice, National Institute of Justice, Washington, DC. 1998.
The National Institute of Justice and the Centers for Disease Control
and Prevention cosponsored a nationally representative phone survey of
8,000 women and 8,000 men, 18 years and older. The survey was conducted
by the Center for Policy Research between November 1995-May 1996. This
was the first national research study to examine the problem of stalking.
The study provides empirical data on the prevalence of stalking, the characteristics
of stalking, and the consequences of stalking.
Stalking was defined as "a course of conduct directed at a specific
person that involves repeated visual or physical proximity, nonconsensual
communication, or verbal, written or implied threats or a combination
thereof, that would cause a reasonable person to fear."
Key
findings
Prevalence
1 out of every 12 women will be stalked during her lifetime
1 out of 45 men will be stalked during his lifetime
1,006,970 women are stalked annually
370,990 men are stalked annually
Communities of color
Although the number of survey respondents representing communities of
color was small, the NVAW survey found that American Indian/Alaska Native
women reported more stalking victimization than female victims of other
racial or ethnic background. The survey also showed significantly less
stalking victimization among Asian/Pacific Islander women.
Stalkers
94% of stalkers identified by female victims were men
60% of stalkers identified by male victims were men
87% of stalkers overall were men
Other Key Findings
81% of women who were stalked by a current or former husband or cohabiting
partner were also physically assaulted and 31% were also sexually assaulted
by that partner.
77% of female victims were stalked by someone they knew. 59% of female
victims were stalked by an intimate partner.
64% of male victims were stalked by someone they knew. 30% of male victims
were stalked by an intimate partner.
Top
three reasons victims felt they were being stalked: stalker wanted to
control victim, stalker wanted to keep victim in relationship, and stalker
wanted to scare victim.
45% of female victims and 43% of male victims were overtly threatened
by stalker.
55% of female victims and 48% of male victims reported stalking to police.
13.1% of female victims and 9% of male victims, whose stalkers were charged
criminally, had their cases prosecuted.
52.8% of female victims and 60% of male victims had their cases result
in a conviction.
28% of female victims and 10% of male victims obtained a protection order.
69% of female victims and 81% of male victims had the protection order
violated.
Average duration of stalking reported was 1.8 years; however if stalking
involved intimate partners, average duration increased to 2.2 years.
Top three reasons victims thought the stalking ended: victim relocated,
stalker got a new love interest, and police warned stalker.
Effects of stalking on victim: 30% of female victims and 20% of male victims
sought psychological counseling; 26% of victims lost time from work and
7% never returned to work because of stalking.
