The impact of stalking and its predictors: Characterising the needs of stalking victims

Objective. Victims of stalking suffer severe and varied impacts requiring assessment and treatment. Research to inform support is limited. The present study examines a national sample of stalking victims to identify the types and prevalence of impact reported and the predictors of impact.

Method. A secondary analysis of 258 stalking cases reported to a stalking charity was conducted. Four categories of victim reported impact were coded; psychological and substance abuse, physical health, practical impact on life and impact on others. Stalking duration, severity, the diversity of stalking behaviors and the relationship between the victim and perpetrator were investigated as predictors of impact.

Results. 48 types of impact were identified with victims experiencing an average of four types. Psychological impact was the most prevalent (91.5%). Several new forms of impact were identified including a variety of impacts on persons known to the victim (e.g., children, friends) in 35.3% of the sample. Increased diversity of stalking behavior was predictive of impact in all models (explaining 11% of the variance in total impact scores), except for physical impact which was not analysed due to low prevalence.

Conclusions. Stalking impact was prevalent and varied, suggesting that victims (and potentially those close to them) require trauma informed support from clinicians. Future research should include the development of a stalking impact index to improve the consistency of research and clinical assessment of need.