Katy Proctor Katy Proctorgcu ac uk Stalking in

Katy Proctor Katy. Proctor@gcu. ac. uk Stalking in Scotland – Investigating the Invisible

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Bar Chart Showing the Top Five Tactics Used by Stalkers as Described by Survey Participants Table Showing the Five Most Common Impacts of Stalking as Described by Survey Participants Behaviour % Participants Impact % Participants The person watched/spied on you with unknown intention 75% (n=72) Anxiety 97. 9% (n=95) The person sent you unwanted letters or notes 73. 5% (n=72) Worry 96. 9% (n=94) The person followed you with unknown intention 68. 8% (n=66) Feeling Unsafe 95. 8% (n=91) The person made unwanted telephone calls to you 67. 3% (n=66) Fear/Alarm 93. 8% (n=90) The person threatened to spread rumours (true or false) about you 61. 1% (n=58) Feeling Watched 92. 6% (n=87) 3

Key Themes Emerging from the Interview Data Stalker MO Stalks without target knowing Let’s target know they are being stalked and who is stalking them 4

Third Party Involvement Stalking by Proxy Knowingly Involved Willingly Stalking Significant Others Unknowingly Involved Social Media Contacts Use of Authorities Coerced 5

Surrounded by Isolation Women’s Aid Twitter College/ University Her Friends His Parents Facebook The Perpetrator His Other Family Members His Friends Linked In Gas Providers Children Neighbours His Children from a previous relationship Her Solicitor Her Expartner Police His New Partner Her Work Colleagues Mutual friends Mobile Phone Providers Courts School/ Nursery Local Members Shops of the Her public Boss Social Work Contact Centres Other Support Organisations Passport Office His siblings Her New Partner Other Family Members Other Social Media His Solicitor Children’s Panel Her Siblings Other Utility Providers 6

Key Points and Concluding Remarks The defining characteristics of stalking are 1. Surveillance behaviour which makes it distinct from q Emotional/psychological abuse within the context of domestic abuse q Harassment/Bullying q Anti-social behaviour 2. The victim is made aware that they are being stalked which makes it distinct from tracking behaviours e. g. serial killers or ‘predatory stalking’ 3. There is no planned end point (stalking for stalking’s sake) 4. Stalking in essence is an act of violence 5. Motivation of stalking is to exert power and control over an individual 7