One Size Does Not Fit All: The Combination Reaction of Stalking and Sexual Violence, in the Assessment of Risk.

Background: An estimated 1.2 million people have been stalked in the last year, with women disproportionally victimized. Stalking is not an isolated event and is usually associated to sexual violence. However, there is a lack of research on how these forms of violence are interacting, and how stalking increases the risk of sexual violence. Evidence-based approaches to tackle these forms of violence are much needed.
Aims: The current presentation is proposing a holistic approach to study stalking’s risk factors and how its interaction with sexual violence impact the outcomes. A careful consideration of context should increase our ability to predict the risk of violence and future-related offences in context of stalking and allow professionals to elaborate effective prevention and treatment.
Methodology: Results from three samples will be presented: 1) N = 1032 victims’ accounts, who had contacted the UK National Stalking Helpline; 2) N = 319 self-reports from the general population, and 3) N = 550 non-convicted perpetrators. Preliminary results from a project on convicted perpetrators, including sexual murderers, will also be presented.
Data analysis: Univariate analyses (i.e., Frequency), Bivariate analyses (i.e., t-test and correlations) and Multivariate analyses (i.e., Taxometric, Two-parameter Item Response Theory, Mediation & Regression) will be presented.
Results: Overall results revealed that the risk of violent outcomes is significantly increasing with the convergence of stalking and sexual violence. Context (i.e., current or previous intimate relationship), Gender (i.e., men), Dark Traits (i.e., Psychopathy, Sadism & Narcissism), level of fixation, predatory behaviours, sexual deviance, and propensity to sexual harassment and sexual coercion are elements that significantly increase the risk of severe sexual and non-sexual violence, including lethal outcome. These results strengthened the urgent need to develop stalking evidence-based actuarial risk assessment tools.
Keywords: Stalking, Sexual Violence, Risk Assessment, Risk Factors, Gender-based violence.