Facts about Stalkers
Facts
According to a recent United States Department of Justice study (Tjaden, 1997) one out of every twelve American women and one out of forty-five men have been stalked during their lifetimes. Each year more than one million women, and more than 370,000 men become victims of stalking. Women are the primary victims of stalking. Men are the primary perpetrators.
A vast majority of victims know their stalkers. Strangers stalked only twenty-six percent of female victims and thirty-six percent of male victims. The study also determined that women are most likely to be stalked by their intimates, husbands, ex-husbands, boyfriends and ex-boyfriends. In all, fifty-nine percent of female victims reported being stalked by an intimate.
There is a strong link between stalking and other forms of intimate violence, the study found. Eighty-one percent of those stalked by an intimate were physically assaulted. Thirty-one percent of those stalked by an intimate were sexually assaulted.
Half of the victims did not report these crimes to the police. When asked why they did not report the crimes, victims said they thought stalking was not a police matter. They also doubted that the police would be able to do anything about the problem. And they feared reprisals from the offenders. Only thirteen percent of female victims and nine percent of male victims reported that their stalkers were prosecuted, with only about half of those defendants being convicted.
Another study which examined the prevalence of stalking on university campuses found that one third of female students and fifteen percent of male students had been stalked. Women students who were victims of stalkers knew the perpetrator in 81% of the cases. In 47% of the cases the victim and perpetrator had been in a serious dating relationship. (Fremouw, Westrup, Pennypacker, 1997).
Other statistics about stalking include the following:
- Four out of five stalking victims are women.
- Ninety percent of the stalkers identified by women are male.
- Most victims of stalking are young. Fifty-six percent of victims were between the ages of 18 and 29.
- In many cases, the duration of stalking activity can be more than a year.
According to a recent United States Department of Justice study (Tjaden, 1997) one out of every twelve American women and one out of forty-five men have been stalked during their lifetimes. Each year more than one million women, and more than 370,000 men become victims of stalking. Women are the primary victims of stalking. Men are the primary perpetrators.
A vast majority of victims know their stalkers. Strangers stalked only twenty-six percent of female victims and thirty-six percent of male victims. The study also determined that women are most likely to be stalked by their intimates, husbands, ex-husbands, boyfriends and ex-boyfriends. In all, fifty-nine percent of female victims reported being stalked by an intimate.
There is a strong link between stalking and other forms of intimate violence, the study found. Eighty-one percent of those stalked by an intimate were physically assaulted. Thirty-one percent of those stalked by an intimate were sexually assaulted.
Half of the victims did not report these crimes to the police. When asked why they did not report the crimes, victims said they thought stalking was not a police matter. They also doubted that the police would be able to do anything about the problem. And they feared reprisals from the offenders. Only thirteen percent of female victims and nine percent of male victims reported that their stalkers were prosecuted, with only about half of those defendants being convicted.
Another study which examined the prevalence of stalking on university campuses found that one third of female students and fifteen percent of male students had been stalked. Women students who were victims of stalkers knew the perpetrator in 81% of the cases. In 47% of the cases the victim and perpetrator had been in a serious dating relationship. (Fremouw, Westrup, Pennypacker, 1997).
Other statistics about stalking include the following:
- Four out of five stalking victims are women.
- Ninety percent of the stalkers identified by women are male.
- Most victims of stalking are young. Fifty-six percent of victims were between the ages of 18 and 29.
- In many cases, the duration of stalking activity can be more than a year.