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Identifying risk factors in stalking: A review of current research
Abstract
Stalking is a behaviour which can cause substantial damage to its victims, whether the perpetrator is violent or not. Victims face a range of risks including not only assault, but persistent or recurrent stalking and varying degrees of psychological and social damage. The responsibility for assessing and managing these risks often falls to the mental health professional, yet the emerging stalking risk assessment literature is at too early a stage to provide clinicians with empirically derived evidence upon which to base their clinical practice. This paper reviews existing research to identify those factors currently believed to be associated with increased risk of physical and sexual assault; with persistent and/or recurrent stalking; and, with psychological and social damage.
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The risk of stalking violence increases with greater closeness between the stalker and their victim.
“Approximately one third of all stalking situations involve violence and the risk of violence increases with greater closeness between the stalker and their victim (Churcher & Nesca, 2013; McEwan et al., 2007; Thomas et al., 2008).”
From Police-Identified Psychological Distress, Substance Use, and Physical Violence Among Male Intimate Partner Stalkers (2025) · cites this paper as McEwan et al., 2007
Victims of intimate partner stalkers are at the greatest risk, with an estimated 42% to 81% having experienced violence by their perpetrator.
“Victims of intimate partner stalkers are at the greatest risk, with an estimated 42% to 81% of these individuals having experienced violence by their perpetrator, (McEwan et al., 2007; Thompson et al., 2013)”
From Police-Identified Psychological Distress, Substance Use, and Physical Violence Among Male Intimate Partner Stalkers (2025) · cites this paper as McEwan et al., 2007
Approximately one third of all stalking situations involve violence.
“Approximately one third of all stalking situations involve violence and the risk of violence increases with greater closeness between the stalker and their victim (Churcher & Nesca, 2013; McEwan et al., 2007; Thomas et al., 2008).”
From Police-Identified Psychological Distress, Substance Use, and Physical Violence Among Male Intimate Partner Stalkers (2025) · cites this paper as McEwan et al., 2007
A limited body of literature indicates substance abuse predicts men's stalking violence.
“A limited body of literature indicates substance abuse predicts men’s stalking violence (McEwan et al., 2007) and intimate partner stalking after a breakup (Ornstein & Rickne, 2013).”
From Police-Identified Psychological Distress, Substance Use, and Physical Violence Among Male Intimate Partner Stalkers (2025) · cites this paper as McEwan et al., 2007
Citations
Cites
No references could be resolved yet.
Research works printed but not linked: 38
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Cited by
Sorted by citations
Bendlin, M., & Sheridan, L. (2021) · Journal of Interpersonal Violence · doi:10.1177/0886260519847776 · Cited by 33
Landwehr, E., Roberts, L., Garratt-Reed, D., & Maxwell-Smith, C. (2025) · International Journal of Offender Therapy and Comparative Criminology · doi:10.1177/0306624x241228977 · Cited by 2
Metadata
- Authors
- McEwan, T., Mullen, P. E., & Purcell, R.
- Affiliations
- Monash University (AU)
- The University of Melbourne (AU)
- Corresponding author
- Mullen, Paul E.
- Venue
- International Journal of Law and Psychiatry
- Publisher
- Elsevier BV
- Published
- 2007-01
- Volume
- 30
- Issue
- 1
- Pages
- 1-9
- ISSN
- 0160-2527 (ISSN-L)
- OpenAlex
- W2045196091
- Cited by
- 107
- References
- 0
- Citations by year
- 2026: 2 · 2025: 2 · 2024: 4 · 2023: 2 · 2022: 3 · 2021: 3 · 2020: 11 · 2019: 5 · 2018: 3 · 2017: 5 · 2016: 6 · 2015: 6 · 2014: 7 · 2013: 10 · 2012: 8
- FWCI
- 1.50
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- International Journal of Law and Psychiatry (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Swinburne figshare (Swinburne University of Technology) (submittedVersion)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Sociology and Political Science › Stalking, Cyberstalking, and Harassment
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Psychopathy, Forensic Psychiatry, Sexual Offending
- Social Sciences › Business, Management and Accounting › Organizational Behavior and Human Resource Management › Workplace Violence and Bullying
- Keywords
- stalking, risk assessment, physical assault, sexual assault, psychological harm, social harm, stalking victims, mental health professionals
- MeSH terms
- Mental Disorders, Crime, Dangerous Behavior, Humans, Interpersonal Relations, Obsessive Behavior, Personality Disorders, Risk Factors, Sex Offenses, Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic, Violence, Crime Victims, Substance-Related Disorders
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