NCJ Number
187986
Journal
Legal and Criminological Psychology Volume: 6 Issue: 1 Dated: February 2001 Pages: 3-17
Date Published
February 2001
Length
15 pages
Annotation
A study conducted in England assessed the similarities and differences in anti-stalking legislation from three countries, public perceptions of what is and what is not stalking, and the ability of laypersons to interpret and apply legal statutes.
Abstract
The research focused on the definitions in the anti-stalking laws of the United States, England and Wales, and South Australia. The participants were 88 university students. They read 20 transcripts of actual intrusive acts experienced by female members of the public. The participants rated the extent to which each act represented a case of stalking, either on the basis of one of the three sets of anti-stalking laws or purely on the basis of their own opinions as to what represented stalking. Results of multivariate and univariate analysis of variance revealed that for 18 of the 20 transcripts, the three laws and participants’ own opinions led to significant differences in whether participants labeled a given transcript as stalking. These differences reflected the ways in which the different laws defined stalking. Participants’ intuitive ideas fit most closely with ratings generated by the England and Wales Protection from Harassment Act of 1997. The analysis concluded that the British law, which offers no final definition of stalking but instead concentrates on the effects on the victim, may come closest to matching the public perception of stalking. The analysis also concluded that laypersons were proficient in interpreting and applying three anti-stalking laws of varying complexity. Tables, appended instructions given to participants, and 19 references (Author abstract modified)