NCJ Number
219590
Journal
Violence Against Women Volume: 13 Issue: 7 Dated: July 2007 Pages: 750-776
Date Published
July 2007
Length
27 pages
Annotation
This study drew on data from the National Violence Against Women Survey to explore patterns in fear reported by women who had been stalked.
Abstract
A full quarter of the sample reported feeling no fear related to the stalking incident. Black women were significantly less likely than White women to report fear. Participants who reported more fear than others were more likely to have been frequently stalked, to have been stalked by an intimate or family member or acquaintance, or to have been stalked by physical or communicative means. The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) defines stalking under the heading of Crimes Against Persons, under Assault Offenses, under the section of Intimidation. This definition requires that the person be in reasonable fear of bodily harm. The requirement that women feel fearful before accepting her experience as an instance of stalking may lead to a miscarriage of justice, an undercount of the crime, and the abandonment of stalking victims who are in need of validation and protection. Future research should focus on the place the stalking occurred as a factor predictive of feelings of fear in the victim. Data were drawn from the National Violence Against Women Survey, designed to explore women’s experiences of violence. Data were collected in 1995 and 1996 using a nationally representative sample of 8,000 women and 8,000 men aged 18 or above living in U.S. households. Participants were interviewed on the telephone regarding crime and safety issues, demographic characteristics, emotional and mental health, alcohol and drug consumption, past and current relationship status, emotional abuse, physical assault, sexual assault, and stalking. The current analysis focused only on the 8,000 female participants. Data were analyzed using logistic regression models. Tables, notes, references