STALKING RESEARCH

Stalking: A Silent Epidemic

Stalking is a public health concern, affecting approximately one in five women and one in 12 men over their lifetimes. Despite its prevalence, stalking remains under-researched and under-prosecuted. This may be partly due to pervasive stereotypes about what constitutes stalking and misconceptions about who stalkers and their victims are. Many people associate stalking solely with extreme behaviors, overlooking subtler but equally harmful forms of harassment. Additionally, the myth of the "stranger stalker" persists, despite most victims being targeted by someone they know, with male ex-partners being the most prevalent offenders.

While stalking always involves a pattern of unwanted contact, it manifests in diverse and complex ways. For example, stalkers often manipulate third parties in a tactic known as stalking by proxy. This can involve friends, family, or even institutions being unwittingly used to harass or gather information about the victim. In some instances, authorities are unknowingly co-opted to pursue legal actions against the victim, a practice referred to as stalking by law. Moreover, stalkers may employ a phenomenon known as role reversal, positioning themselves as the victim of stalking, while framing the true victim as the perpetrator.

Stalking is marked by its insidious nature, with stalkers often employing subtle tactics that remain within legal gray areas, making it challenging to address through traditional enforcement measures. Nevertheless, stalking represents a high-risk situation that poses a threat to victims’ social, professional and financial well-being, as well as to their physical and mental health - a threat that often persists for months, years; sometimes even decades.

Stalking is often a psychological offense, driven by motivations such as obsession, psychosis, revenge, entitlement and coercive control. Effectively addressing these complexities requires a case-by-case analysis that considers the relationship history between the stalker and the victim, alongside statistical risk factors. I am certified in structured risk assessment and management tools, including the Stalking Risk Profile (MacKenzie et al., 2009) and the new version of the SAM-V2 (Kropp et al., 2023). By investigating the relationship dynamics, along with the stalking behaviors and communications unique to each case, it is possible to identify potential triggers, providing insights into how the case may evolve, and outlining risk scenarios for the victim.

My Research Focus - The Child as Proxy

In 2023, I conducted a pilot study in collaboration with the Nacka Värmdö Women’s Crisis Center, focusing on interviews with women who were being stalked by a former partner who was also the father of their children. This group represents a particularly vulnerable population, as shared parenthood with the stalker significantly limits their ability to take protective measures. The study highlighted the unique challenges faced by these women, who must navigate ongoing contact with their stalker due to co-parenting obligations, further complicating efforts to ensure the safety and well-being of themselves and of their children. The interviews provided insights into how the stalkers routinely involved the children in their actions and manipulated the very systems designed to protect children. This phenomenon, of using the child as a proxy in stalking, is an emerging research field (Nikupeteri et al., 2021).

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