Domestic Violence and Stalking: Links, Statistics, and Law
This paper examines the relationship between domestic violence and stalking, drawing on social science research to establish behavioral and psychological links between the two phenomena. It profiles the personality characteristics common to batterers and stalkers, reviews prevalence statistics from representative studies, and highlights alarming data on feminicide. The paper also outlines U.S. legislative responses, including California's 1990 anti-stalking law, the 1996 Federal stalking law, and the Violence Against Women Act's National Stalker and Domestic Violence Reduction Program, explaining how these measures aim to collect data, enforce protection orders, and reduce domestic crimes.
- Introduction: Defining Domestic Violence and Stalking: Defines both phenomena and establishes their connection
- Psychological Profile of Batterers and Stalkers: Cluster B traits shared by batterers and stalkers
- Prevalence of Stalking: Key studies and feminicide statistics on stalking
- Legal Sanctions and Legislative Response: U.S. laws, VAWA, and NCHIP funding measures
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What makes this paper effective
- Establishes a clear conceptual link between two related but distinct phenomena — domestic violence and stalking — before moving into evidence.
- Uses specific cited statistics (e.g., 76%, 85%, 89%, 54%) to ground the discussion in measurable data rather than relying solely on broad claims.
- Connects behavioral psychology (Cluster B personality disorders) to real-world criminal patterns, giving the argument both clinical and social weight.
Key academic technique demonstrated
The paper demonstrates the technique of building from definition to evidence to policy implication — a classic structure in social science writing. It introduces constructs (stalking, domestic violence), supports them with empirical studies, then shows how research findings translate into legislative action. This approach is effective for policy-oriented academic writing.
Structure breakdown
The paper opens with definitions and the conceptual link between domestic violence and stalking. It then profiles the psychological characteristics of perpetrators using clinical terminology. The third section presents prevalence data and landmark statistics on feminicide. The final section details U.S. legal responses, including VAWA provisions and the NCHIP funding program, connecting research directly to policy outcomes.
Introduction: Defining Domestic Violence and Stalking
Domestic violence can be defined as the vicious behaviour used by one person in a relationship to control the other. Partners may be married or in a dating relationship, and may be gay, heterosexual, or lesbian. According to social scientists, there is a link between domestic violence and stalking. Stalking can be described as the continual following or contacting of a person in a threatening and harassing way that causes the targeted individual to feel insecure. The people who most commonly become targets of stalkers are their ex-intimate partners, and this pattern allows us to establish the connection between domestic violence and stalking — a connection that has recently become a legal construct (Douglas & Dutton, 2001).
Psychological Profile of Batterers and Stalkers
Most stalkers are psychopathic batterers who are introverted and exhibit violent behaviour. Such individuals are also termed "borderline" or "cyclical" batterers. Both batterers and stalkers share Cluster B personality disorder traits, which include being overly dramatic, experiencing attachment trauma, possessing weak ego strength, and displaying jealousy, anger issues, and abusive behaviour. These individuals have been observed to react threateningly when they face rejection or abandonment. According to Douglas and Dutton, conducting thorough research on borderline/cyclical batterers and stalkers could yield results that help bring an end to these harmful behaviours.
Prevalence of Stalking
Several researchers have investigated the prevalence of stalking within domestic violence contexts. In one representative study by Burgess et al. (1997), statistics from a group of 120 individuals charged with domestic violence — all of whom were attending a treatment program — revealed that 30% confessed to having stalked their partners. Another significant report, carried out by Dutton et al. (1996), found that relationship intrusiveness and harassment were recognized within the Canadian Criminal Code, and that victims' ratings of their stalkers' jealousy and abusiveness clearly demonstrated a correlation between the two behaviours.
Statistical analysis further shows that ex-partners stalked women for a considerable period before those women became victims of feminicide. Specifically, 76% of women were stalked before their murder, while 85% of stalking victims survived a murder attempt. Additionally, 89% of feminicide victims had been both battered and stalked before their murder, and 54% had reported the stalking to police beforehand (NCADV). In response to these alarming patterns, California took the initiative in 1990 to pass the first legislation against stalking in the United States, and several other jurisdictions subsequently declared stalking a criminal offense. To prevent stalkers from pursuing their victims across state or national boundaries, a Federal anti-stalking law was passed in 1996 (U.S. Department of Justice, 1998).
References
Burgess, A., Baker, T., Greening, D., Hartman, C., Burgess, A., Douglas, J., & Halloran, R. (1997). Stalking behaviors within domestic violence. Journal of Family Violence, 389–403.
Douglas, K., & Dutton, D. (2001). Assessing the link between stalking and domestic violence. Aggression and Violent Behavior, 519–546.
Dutton, D., van Ginkel, C., & Landolt, M. (1996). Jealousy, intimate abusiveness, and intrusiveness. Journal of Family Violence, 411–423.
NCADV. (n.d.). Facts about domestic violence and stalking. NCADV. Retrieved May 2016, from https://www.ncadv.org/files/Domestic Violence and Stalking NCADV.pdf
U.S. Department of Justice. (1998). Stalking and domestic violence. U.S. DoJ.
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