Women Stalking Women at Work: A Preliminary Study on Nurses' Experiences (From Stalking: Criminal Justice Responses, P 1-17, 2000, Australian Institute of Criminology -- See NCJ-188298)

• NCJ Number: 188304
• Author(s): Charmaine Hockley
• Date Published: 2000
• Length: 17 pages
• Sale Source: Australian Institute of Criminology
• Publication Format: Document
• Publication Type: Report (Study/Research)
• Language: English
• Country: Australia
• Note: Paper from the conference, "Stalking: Criminal Justice Responses," organized by the Australian Institute of Criminology, December 7-8, 2000, in Sydney. Downloaded May 14, 2001

Annotation

This paper explores a sample of Australian nurses' experiences of workplace stalking.

Abstract

Participants for this exploratory study were selected from female registered nurses who had experienced workplace stalking. The participants were divided into two categories: those who did not initially identify they were experiencing workplace stalking and those who did. Stalking behavior emerged from workplace interactions of the stalker with the victim, and stalking activities included being followed or watched, the obstruction of the victim's work performance to make them appear incompetent, verbal exchanges designed to demean and upset the victim, and theft of the victim's property at the workplace. Study findings indicate that any level of worker can be stalked. Those who had been stalked ranged from registered nurses to senior nursing executives; however, stalking occurred primarily from persons with legitimate supervisory power stalking persons they were supervising; this might have include getting other staff members to do the stalking on their behalf. This study also examined the emotional effects of workplace stalking on the victims, as well as how current Australian stalking law might be applied to the kind of workplace stalking described by the nurses in this sample. Suggestions for future research are offered. 31 references