Harm associated with stalking victimization.
OBJECTIVE
The purpose of the present study was to determine the frequency at which assault and attempted assault occur as outcomes among stalking victims, and to explore the common characteristics of those cases in which the victims report these harmful outcomes as a result of the stalking behaviour.


METHODS
A sample of 3700 men and women randomly selected from the electoral roll were sent a postal questionnaire to determine the prevalence and nature of their experiences of stalking behaviours. Those who self-reported that they had been stalked were divided according to whether their pursuer had, or had not, attacked them.


RESULTS
Of the 432 who reported having been stalked, 75 (17.4%) had been attacked. A number of victim and perpetrator factors differentiated those who reported attacks. A combination of the victim being threatened, being an ex-intimate, and being younger at the time of the stalking incident were predictive of attack. A multivariate model containing these factors correctly classified 82% of the sample and achieved an AUC of 0.87.


CONCLUSIONS
Stalking is an all too common problem behaviour that can result in a range of harmful outcomes for victims. Threats made by ex-intimates are a particular cause for concern. The generalizability of these findings should be tested using robust prospective methodologies in diverse populations.
Thomas
Stuart D M
SD
Centre for Forensic Behavioural Science, School of Psychology, Psychiatry and Psychological Medicine, Monash University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
Purcell
Rosemary
R
Pathé
Michele
M
Mullen
Paul E
PE
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000374:Aggression / Q000523:psychology*; D019548:Crime Victims / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D007398:Interpersonal Relations; D008297:Male; D028642:Persons with Psychiatric Disorders / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D012307:Risk Factors; D012919:Social Behavior; D014739:Victoria