Scottish Government

2002

CONTENTS

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
A. INTRODUCTON
Background
Legislative position in Scotland
Legislative position in England & Wales
A note on terminology
Research methods
Structure of the report
B. LITERATURE REVIEW
What is stalking?
Legal responses
What is already known about the nature and extent of stalking?
How is stalking dealt with?
What are the current issues?
Key points
C. FINDINGS FROM THE SURVEY OF THE GENERAL PUBLIC
Characteristics of the sample
Experience of different forms of harassment
Awareness of stalking
Experience of 'persistent and unwanted attention'
Comparisons with England & Wales
Perceptions of seriousness
Prevalence of victim-defined 'stalking'
Types of behaviours
Characteristics of offenders
Victim reactions
Contact with the police and courts
Key points
D. VICTIM PERSPECTIVE
The relationship between victim and offender and the link with domestic abuse
Links with custody and financial disputes
'Greater than the sum of its parts': the overall experience of stalking behaviours
Specific types of stalking behaviour
Trigger events and end points
Stalking by proxy and victimisation by proxy
Victims' accounts of their stalkers and harassers
Contact with the police and the criminal justice system
Victims' strategies for dealing with stalking
Impact on victims
Victims' views of legal interventions
Key points
E. PRACTITIONER PERSPECTIVES
Definitions
Legislation and the criminal law
Policing issues
Multi-agency working
Prosecution and evidential issues
Sentencing and disposals
Perceptions of problems and suggested solutions
Key points
F. CONCLUSIONS
Is there a problem?: The prevalence and impact of stalking
Policing stalking
Prosecuting stalking
The nature of stalking
How useful is the term 'stalking'?
APPENDIX A - RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
Quantitative component
Qualitative component

Further copies of this report are available priced 5.00. Cheques should be made payable to The Stationery Office Ltd and addressed to:

The Stationery Office
71 Lothian Road
Edinburgh
EH3 9AZ
Tel: 0870 606 5566
Fax: 0870 606 5588