Research on Partner Stalking: Putting the Pieces Together.

摘要

Stalking definitions vary greatly in the literature and some are hard to decipher. This paper attempted to restrict publications to those that defined stalking as: (1) repeated (2 or more) acts and (2) including some element of fear or concern about safety; or to those that defined stalking as a significant stressor or intrusion. General research trends are described within each section. Some of the trends that were noted are preliminary as they are from only one or two studies. Time and space limitations made it impossible to include every relevant research trend or citation. The literature often uses the term victim and survivor interchangeably, with some disciplines favoring one over the other. The use of the term victim in this paper is not meant to imply that women who have experienced partner violence and stalking are not survivors. Rather, the use of the word victim was simply chosen to provide a consistent terminology throughout the paper and should be thought of as interchangeable with survivor. Research indicates that most stalkers are male, and most stalking victims, especially partner stalking victims, are female (especially when definitions include the fear element). Because of the gendered nature of partner stalking, many studies focus on female partner stalking victims.