College Student Perceptions of Victim Action: Will Targets of Stalking Report to Police?

Am J Crim Just (2015) 40:250269

DOI 10.1007/s12103-014-9252-8

Amy I. Cass & Stacy L. Mallicoat

Received: 11 March 2014 /Accepted: 6 June 2014 / Published online: 24 June 2014# Southern Criminal Justice Association 2014

Abstract Stalking is a concern on college campuses and it often goes unreported to authorities. This study seeks to determine whether gender of the respondent, gender of the victim/offender, and relationship status influence perceptions of victim reporting of stalking in a university setting. Regression results indicate that students believe that male victims and victims of an ex-intimate are significantly less likely to report their cases to police, while qualitative data suggests that gender norms, the potential for violence, and shame all play a role in perceptions of reporting. Implications of these findings are discussed, as well as directions for future research.

Keywords Stalking . Perceptions . Gender. Victimization

Since stalking was first codified into law in 1990, a considerable amount of scholarship has been published examining the extent of stalking in the population. The most current national estimates suggest that in one year, as many as 14 in every 1,000 adults have been victims of stalking (Baum et al., 2009). Research further indicates that victimization is particularly prevalent on college campuses, with estimates of female stalking victimization ranging from 13 % (Fisher et al., 2000) to 30 % (Fremouw et al., 1997). Like other forms of interpersonal violence, stalking has great traumatic impact on victims (Pathe & Mullen, 1997). In fact, stalking has been referred to as psychological terrorism because its victims perceive they must be in a constant state of readiness to protect themselves, and they often feel forced to alter their lives (Hall, 1998).

While research reveals that stalking is a widespread and serious social problem, we are just beginning to develop an understanding about the nature of this phenomenon. One of the greatest challenges in understanding the nature of stalking is that many victims fail to report these cases of victimization to legal authorities; and once reported, stalking is either not identified by police or it is not taken seriously by law enforcement

A. I. Cass (*) : S. L. Mallicoat (*)

California State University, P.O. Box 6848, Fullerton, CA 92834-6848, USA e-mail: [email protected]: [email protected]

College Student Perceptions...