Challenges with and Recommendations for Intimate Partner Stalking Policy and Practice: a Practitioner Perspective
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ORIGINAL ARTICLE
Challenges with and Recommendations for Intimate Partner Stalking Policy and Practice: a Practitioner Perspective Rebecca J. Dreke 1 & Laura Johnson 2
&
Jennifer Landhuis 3
# Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature 2020
Abstract Informed by the perspectives of two practitioners with over ten years of experience addressing stalking issues and a researcher from the field of violence against women, this paper will highlight the trajectory of the United States’ response to intimate partner stalking by first discussing advancements that have been made in stalking laws. This will be followed by the practical challenges that law enforcement and service providers continue to face when encountering this crime, despite this progress. There are four major challenges to addressing intimate partner stalking: a) stalking remains a very misunderstood crime; b) building stalking cases proves challenging; c) service providers may lack the knowledge and/or resources needed to respond to stalking victims effectively; and d) research on stalking is limited. The manuscript concludes with practical recommendations for addressing some of these challenges. Keywords Intimate partner stalking . Domestic violence . Intimate partner violence . Practitioner perspective . Stalking
Introduction Stalking is a complex, terrifying and all too often misunderstood crime. Although prevalence rates are quite high – one in six women experience stalking in their lifetime (Black et al. 2011) – stalking is still often misidentified and not properly addressed by the criminal justice system. This crime is most often perpetrated by intimate or former intimate partners and frequently co-occurs with intimate partner violence (Logan and Walker 2010). Stalking may negatively affect a victim’s physical, psychological and emotional well-being (Davis et al. 2002) and has been identified as a risk factor for intimate partner homicide (McFarlane et al. 1999). Informed by the perspectives of two practitioners and a researcher, each with over ten years of experience addressing stalking issues through practice and research in field of * Laura Johnson [email protected] 1
Rebecca Dreke Consulting, LLC, Austin, TX, USA
2
Center on Violence Against Women and Children, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, 123 Church Street, New Brunswick, NJ 08901, USA
3
Stalking Prevention, Awareness, and Resource Center (SPARC), Washington, DC, USA
violence against women, this manuscript will provide an overview of the policy and practice challenges associated with addressing intimate partner stalking, along with practical recommendations for addressing them. Rebecca Dreke began working specifically on stalking in 2007, when she was hired to be a trainer and technical assistance provider with the National Center for Victims of Crime's Stalking Resource Center. Prior to that, she worked in direct service/advocacy with domestic violence and sexual assault survivors, as well having done public awareness, training, and technical
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