An estimated 19 per cent of women in Australia will be stalked at some stage in their lives (Australian Bureau of Statistics, 2015). Research has shown that the greater the victimisation a person experiences, the more he or she will resort to a variety of attempts to manage the stalking behaviour. Very few empirical studies of victim responses exist,and even fewer have yielded evidence showing how a particular intervention affects an instance of stalking. Should a victim respond to stalking? What is the best method of response? Is there any benefit to acting early? This doctoral project examined the relationship between the duration and intensity of stalking, and the way in which victims respond to and exercise agency over being stalked. It draws on Routine Activity Theory to highlight the ways in which behaviours impact upon offending and victimisation. Respondents (N=143) completed a self-report questionnaire, derived from an instrument used by Sheridan and Blaauw (2004). The study examined, among other things,responses to stalking and the temporal dimension in employing responses. Broadly,findings showed that an early response (i.e., within two weeks) was associated with a shorter duration of stalking (i.e., less than one year) for the following responses:personally informing the stalking that their behaviour was unwanted; informing the police; and informing a boss. Ultimately, the thesis contributes to the fields of crime prevention and victimology and aims to inform best practice in the strategic intervention of stalking.
Victim responses to stalking: A temporal approach to factors affecting the duration and intensity of being stalked.
Raj, M. (Author). 16 Jun 2018
Student thesis: Doctoral Thesis