Stopping a Stalker: Perceptions and Predictors of Ending Unwanted Pursuits

• In Event: Stalking and Strangulation: Identifying Coercive Control Beyond Visible Injuries

Abstract

Research has uncovered how victims respond to unwanted conduct from stalkers. Whether such strategies are effective at getting stalkers to stop, however, is relatively unknown. Using data from the 2016 stalking supplement to the National Crime Victimization Survey, the current study attempts to identify the safety strategies with the best odds of ending unwanted pursuit behaviors from stalkers. After accounting for victim and situational considerations, victims who restricted access or involved the police were more likely to report the unwanted conduct had stopped. Findings suggest that the effectiveness of safety strategies are not universal and what works to deter stalkers is contingent on having access to resources, knowing who the perpetrator is, and the duration/frequency of pursuits.

Author

• Patrick Brady, University of Northern Colorado