Stalking perpetrators and psychological maltreatment of partners: anger-jealousy, attachment insecurity, need for control, and break-up context.
Two studies of the correlates of self-reported courtship persistence, stalking-like behaviors following a relationship break-up, and psychological maltreatment of partners were conducted in samples of male (N = 46 and 93) and female (N = 123 and 110) college students. Approximately 40% (38.5% and 44.6%) engaged in at least one stalking behavior following a break-up. A total of 10.7% (study 1) and 7.6% (study 2) engaged in 6 or more stalking behaviors. Stalking was significantly related to psychological maltreatment of the partner (PMP) prior to the break-up. Being the recipient of the breakup was associated with feelings of anger, jealousy and obsessiveness and with higher levels of courtship persistence, and stalking. A replicated path model showed that anxious attachment and need for control were related to PMP and that need for control had a direct contribution to stalking. For anxious attachment, its connection to stalking was indirect, mediated by the degree of anger-jealousy over the break-up.
Davis
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KE
Department of Psychology, University of South Carolina, Columbia 29208, USA.
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D000328:Adult; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D000786:Anger; D003380:Courtship; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007389:Internal-External Control; D007578:Jealousy; D008149:Love; D008297:Male; D008960:Models, Psychological; D009769:Object Attachment; D009770:Obsessive Behavior / Q000523:psychology*; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D012307:Risk Factors; D017406:Sexual Harassment / Q000523:psychology*; D012747:Sexual Partners / Q000523:psychology*; D013334:Students / Q000523:psychology*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014495:Universities; D014754:Violence / Q000523:psychology*