An exploration of the association between stalking and intimate partner violence

• Main Author: Storrar, Louise
• Published: University of Nottingham 2017
• Subjects: WM Psychiatry
• Online Access: http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.728470

Stalking has been linked to intimate partner violence (IPV) in a number of ways, with some researchers suggesting stalking is part of the cycle of abuse. However, the extent of the association and potential reasons behind the connection are still unknown. The main aim of this thesis is to explore potential explanations for the association between stalking and IPV. Following an introduction in Chapter One, Chapter Two comprises of an empirical research study that examined whether IPV offenders perceive stalking differently to non-IPV offenders and non-offenders. It was hypothesised that IPV offenders may be more likely to engage in stalking due to limited understanding of the behaviours and how serious and harmful they can be. Although the results provided further evidence for the association between IPV and stalking due to the prevalence of stalking within the IPV sample, the primary hypothesis was not supported. This suggests alternative factors may contribute to the connection. Therefore, Chapters Three and Four explore the characteristics of former intimate and non-intimate stalkers. Specifically, Chapter Three comprises of a systematic review exploring the individual and relationship characteristics associated with unwanted pursuit and stalking following the termination of intimate relationships, while Chapter Four presents a case study of a non-intimate stalker. The characteristics identified throughout these studies are compared to the existing literature relating to risk factors for IPV throughout the general discussion of this thesis (Chapter Six), with a number of similarities emerging. Researchers have theorised that attachment may contribute to the connection between stalking and IPV. Therefore, an appraisal of a popular attachment measure utilised within the case study in Chapter Four is presented in Chapter Five. Finally, Chapter Six draws all of the information in the thesis together, providing an overall discussion of the associations between IPV and stalking, outlining implications for practice and providing suggestions for future research.