A Sign of the Crimes: Examining Officers’ Identification of, and Arrest for, Stalking in Domestic Violence Complaints

Abstract

Despite stalking as a risk factor for intimate partner homicide, few studies have explored officer decision making in domestic violence (DV) complaints that involve stalking. This study employs the focal concerns perspective to identify the legal and extra-legal factors associated with officers' identification of, and arrest for, stalking in DV complaints. Using a statewide sample of 230 DV complaints from Rhode Island, findings indicated that nearly one in four suspects were arrested for stalking in DV complaints (25.2%). Stalking acknowledgment was associated with the location of the offense, prior police involvement, and the total number of offenses committed. Officers were more likely to arrest suspects for stalking in DV complaints if the victim was willing to cooperate. Support for the focal concerns perspective varied according to the type of decision. Avenues for future research, as well as theoretical and practical implications, are discussed.

Cyberstalking Victims’ Experiences With Fear Versus Other Emotional Responses to Repeated Online Pursuit: Revisiting the Fear Standard Among a National Sample of Young Adults

“…On the basis of our findings, practitioners in law enforcement, social services, mental health, and related domains should note the diversity of emotional outcomes experienced by cyberstalking victims. Despite evidence that stalking and cyberstalking are relatively unlikely to receive police or prosecutorial attention (Bouffard et al, 2021; Brady & Nobles, 2017; Brady & Reyns, 2020; Brady et al, 2020), the potential barriers to victim acknowledgment and assistance should nonetheless be critically examined. These victims could benefit from complementary and overlapping standards of care involving individual and group counseling as well as medication to address alternative impacts from depression and anxiety.…”

Victim reactions to being stalked: Examining the effects of perceived offender characteristics and motivations

“…Stalking is a violent crime, and if it occurs within the context of a relationship, it is a form of intimate partner violence (e.g., Beohnlein et al., 2020; Brady et al., 2020; Brady & Hayes, 2018; Garza et al., 2020; Norris et al., 2011; Senkans et al., 2021). Yet, there is clearly a relational aspect to stalking, be it the pursuit of a new relationship, during the course of an existing relationship, or a desire to restart or maintain a relationship that has ended.…”

Improving the ‘victim journey’ when reporting domestic abuse cyberstalking to the police – A pilot project evaluation

“…It is important to highlight that victims reporting stalking, in particular domestic abuse cyberstalking, are more likely to be faced with an insensitive, disbelieving response from police officers; yet a supportive victim is the most important factor in the decision to arrest (Brady et al, 2020). This raises the question as to how the experience of victims who report domestic abuse cyberstalking can be improved in order to increase the chances of engagement with the Criminal Justice System (CJS) so that victims can be afforded the protection and justice they deserve.…”