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Date: April 29, 2024 Mon
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Results for stalking
42 results foundAuthor: Klein, Andrew Title: A Statewide Study of Stalking and its Criminal Justice Response Summary: This study utilizes a multi-methods approach including secondary data analyses of Rhode Island statewide datasets and qualitative methods to examine the impact of identifying the crime of stalking of female intimates and family members across Rhode Island in multiple years. Details: Sudbury, MA: Advocates for Human Potential, Inc., 2009 Source: National Institute of Justice Year: 2009 Country: United States URL: Shelf Number: 116209 Keywords: Female VictimsStalking |
Author: National Union of Students (UK) Title: Hidden Marks: A Study of Women Students' Experiences of Harassment, Stalking, Violence and Sexual Assault Summary: This report outlines findings from a survey exploring the prevalence and nature of harassment, stalking, financial control, control over course and institution choice, and physical and sexual violence faced by female students. The UK-wide study provides a snapshot of the experiences of women students today. Details: London: National Union of Students, 2010. 38p. Source: Year: 2010 Country: United Kingdom URL: Shelf Number: 117831 Keywords: Female VictimsHarassmentSexual AssaultStalking |
Author: Reichert, Jessica Title: Victimization and Help-Seeking Behaviors Among Female Prisoners in Illinois Summary: The number of women in prison has increased both statewide and nationally in recent decades. Most females in state prisons are incarcerated for drug or property offenses. Research has revealed that incarcerated women often have histories of being abused and that many are dealing with mental health issues or substance abuse. This study examines female victimization across the life course of women at three female-only Illinois Department of Corrections facilities. A random sample of 163 inmates was interviewed, and interview questions concentrated on participants' histories of substance abuse, physical abuse, sexual abuse, stalking and emotional abuse, trauma, and help-seeking strategies related to these issues. Details: Chicago: Illinois Criminal Justice Information Authority, 2010. 64p. Source: Year: 2010 Country: United States URL: Shelf Number: 118302 Keywords: Child AbuseEmotional AbuseFemale InmatesSexual AbuseStalkingSubstance AbuseVictimization |
Author: South African Law Reform Commission Title: Report on Stalking Summary: The South African Law Reform Commission’s investigation into stalking emphasizes the need to address the pressing and complex problems relating to stalking with a view to reforming the manner in which it is dealt with in terms of current law. Details: Pretoria, South Africa: 2006. 87p. Source: Internet Resource; Project 130 Year: 2006 Country: South Africa URL: Shelf Number: 119298 Keywords: Sex CrimesStalking |
Author: National Policing Improvement Agency (NPIA, UK) Title: Practice Advice on Investigating Stalking and Harassment Summary: Investigations relating to harassment can be linked to some of the most serious crimes that the police deal with including murder, sexual offences and domestic abuse. Effective police responses to crimes related to harassment can have a direct impact on improving public satisfaction and confidence in the criminal justice system and bringing offenders to justice. This document provides strategic and operational advice for reporting, responding to and investigating harassment. (Excerpts from Document) Details: Wyboston, UK: Association of Chief Police Officers and the National Policing Improvement Agency, 2009. 78p. Source: Interet Resource; Accessed August 14, 2010 at: http://www.npia.police.uk/en/docs/Stalking_and_Harassment.pdf Year: 2009 Country: United Kingdom URL: http://www.npia.police.uk/en/docs/Stalking_and_Harassment.pdf Shelf Number: 117751 Keywords: Criminal InvestigationsDomestic AbuseHarassmentSex CrimesSex OffendersSexual AssaultSexual ViolenceStalking |
Author: Logan, T.K. Title: The Kentucky Civil Protective Order Study: A Rural and Urban Multiple Perspective Study of Protective Order Violation Consequences, Responses, and Cost Summary: Intimate partner violence affects thousands of women each year and results in substantial personal and societal costs. In response to the need for victim protection, states have established civil protective orders (PO). This study addresses several gaps in the research literature on civil protective orders by examining PO effectiveness, enforcement, and cost effectiveness. A selected rural area and a selected urban area were compared to better understand subtle jurisdictional differences. This study used multiple data sources including victim self-reports, key informant interviews, and court data on offenders in order to address three major questions: (1) Rural versus urban similarities and differences: Do community contextual factors matter? This question was answered by examining official data and the current literature on rural versus urban differences and by examining rural and urban key informant (n=188) perceptions of factors associated with responses to PO violations to better understand community contextual factors in addressing partner violence. (2) Civil protective orders: Justice or just a piece of paper? This question was answered by following 106 rural and 107 urban women at baseline, 3-months, and 6-months after receiving a PO to examine partner violence prior to obtaining a PO and after obtaining a PO as well as the PO process, PO violations, victim decisions regarding whether or not to report the violations, and justice system responses to reported violations (99% follow-up rate, n=210). Also, civil and criminal system histories and justice system responses to PO violations were examined using official court records on PO respondents in the cases involving the rural and urban women who participated in the study. (3) Costs of protective orders versus partner violence: Is it really worth it? This question was answered by examining personal and societal costs of ongoing partner violence, including costs to the justice system and to victim quality of life, six months before and six months after a protective order was obtained to better understand the full spectrum of costs associated with partner violence and the economic impact of protective orders on partner violence and abuse. Results showed that half (50%) of the study participants indicated that the protective order had been violated while half did not during the six months after receiving the protective order. Even for those who experienced protective order violations, the abuse was significantly reduced over time. However, results also suggest that community contextual factors do matter in the protective order process and in the enforcement of protective orders. For example, more urban than rural PO violators had protective order violation charges during the six month follow-up period. Further, stalking the six months prior to obtaining the protective order was significantly associated with protective order violations even after controlling for a number of relevant variables. Finally, a wide range of costs was examined for each participant including medical, mental health, criminal justice, legal, lost earnings, property losses, and time lost for family and civic responsibilities as well as an index of quality of life six months before the protective order and six months after the protective order was issued. Overall, including changes in quality of life, protective orders saved the state $85 million in a single year, a moderate estimate of cost savings. When the quality of life index is excluded from the cost analysis, study results show that victim safety is positively impacted by protective orders at very little cost except in cases with stalking. This study advances knowledge about PO effectiveness, enforcement, and costs, and provides information for policies and practice to increase both the effectiveness of protective orders and ultimately the safety of women threatened by partner violence in different jurisdictions. Details: Lexington, KY: University of Kentucky, Department of Behavioral Science, 2009. 175p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed September 10, 2010 at: http://www.ncjrs.gov/pdffiles1/nij/grants/228350.pdf Year: 2009 Country: United States URL: http://www.ncjrs.gov/pdffiles1/nij/grants/228350.pdf Shelf Number: 116664 Keywords: Costs of CrimeIntimate Partner ViolenceRestraining OrdersStalkingVictims of Family ViolenceViolence Against Women |
Author: Johnson, Matthew Title: Personal Victimization of College Students Summary: The purpose of this study was to explore aspects of personal victimization among college students in Texas. Findings were reported and discussed regarding the extent of personal victimization, factors increasing or decreasing the likelihood of personal victimization, and situational issues pertaining to the consequences of being victimized. Some of the more noteworthy findings are: Approximately 26% of respondents reported being a personal crime victim within the past two years; The percentage of females experiencing personal victimization was substantially higher than the percentage for males. Further investigation revealed that the measures of stalking and sexual assault victimization accounted for the overall higher rate for females; Respondents living with a roommate or roommates were much more likely to be victims compared to respondents living alone; Respondents who grew up in a household headed by only the biological father and those raised primarily by their grandparents were significantly more likely to report being a victim compared to all other categories; Exposure to and involvement in violence is associated with personal victimization. Respondents experiencing violence between parents as children and respondents engaging in violent/personal crime were significantly more likely to be victims of personal crime compared to other respondents; Respondents who spent more time taking safety precautions to prevent victimization were more likely to have been victimized compared to those spending less time doing such things; Respondents who were personal crime victims had higher levels of fear of victimization compared to non-victims; and Personal crime victims reported spending more time partying than non-victims. Details: Huntsville, TX: Crime Victims' Institute, Criminal Justice Center, Sam Houston State University, 2009. 39p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed October 5, 2010 at: http://www.crimevictimsinstitute.org/documents/CSVictimizationFinal.pdf Year: 2009 Country: United States URL: http://www.crimevictimsinstitute.org/documents/CSVictimizationFinal.pdf Shelf Number: 119862 Keywords: Campus CrimeColleges and UniversitiesSexual AssaultStalkingVictimization SurveysVictims of Crime |
Author: Raphael, Jody Title: Talking About Stalking: Interviews with Chicago Patrol Officers Summary: Although research has documented that stalking represents a particularly dangerous and often lethal aspect of domestic violence, data show that Illinois stalking laws go underutilized. This research study reports on interviews with 40 Chicago Department of Police patrol officers and detectives in the spring of 2009, undertaken to hear from them why the law is so rarely used and what barriers might exist to bringing stalking charges in Chicago. Details: Chicago: DePaul University College of Law, Schiller DuCanto & Fleck Family Law Center, 2009. 14p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed October 14, 2010 at: http://www.law.depaul.edu/centers_institutes/family_law/pdf/stalking%20study.pdf Year: 2009 Country: United States URL: http://www.law.depaul.edu/centers_institutes/family_law/pdf/stalking%20study.pdf Shelf Number: 119956 Keywords: Domestic ViolenceStalkingViolence Against Women |
Author: National Council to Reduce Violence Against Women and Their Children Title: Domestic Violence Laws in Australia Summary: This report provides: an overview of all State and Territory and New Zealand domestic violence-specific laws providing for the making of protection orders; a comparative analysis of what behaviours constitute domestic violence for the purposes of those laws, and what relationship must exist between the persons concerned in order for the legislation to apply; a comparative analysis of the laws of each of the examined jurisdictions for the registration and enforcement of domestic violence protection orders made in other jurisdictions (‘portability’ of orders); a comparative analysis of the laws of the examined jurisdictions in relation to orders which operate to exclude a perpetrator of domestic violence from that person’s home (where the perpetrator and the victim would normally cohabit); a comparative analysis of the laws of the examined jurisdictions providing for counselling (both mandatory and voluntary) for perpetrators of domestic violence; an overview of the laws of the examined jurisdictions that make stalking an offence; an overview of the provisions in the Family Law Act 1975 (Cth) that have particular significance in relation to domestic violence; and an analysis of areas where there is overlap and potential for conflict between orders or injunctions made under the Family Law Act 1975 (Cth) and orders made under the State and Territory domestic violence protection orders legislation. Details: Canberra: Department of Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs, 2009. 252p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed November 27, 2010 at: http://www.fahcsia.gov.au/sa/women/pubs/violence/np_time_for_action/domestic_violence_laws/Documents/Domestic%20Violence%20Laws%20in%20Australia%20-%20June%202009.pdf Year: 2009 Country: Australia URL: http://www.fahcsia.gov.au/sa/women/pubs/violence/np_time_for_action/domestic_violence_laws/Documents/Domestic%20Violence%20Laws%20in%20Australia%20-%20June%202009.pdf Shelf Number: 120289 Keywords: Domestic Violence (Australia)Family ViolenceProtection OrdersStalkingVictims of Family Violence |
Author: Reyns, Bradford W. Title: Being Pursued Online: Extent and Nature of Cyberstalking Victimization from a Lifestyle/Routine Activities Perspective Summary: The field of stalking has experienced a great deal of growth and refinement over the last decade, but its online counterpart is still little understood. The study of cyberstalking has been challenged by conceptual issues (e.g., defining cyberstalking), a lack of data, and other methodological concerns (e.g., small sample sizes, obtaining sampling frames). The extent of cyberstalking victimization is not currently known, but estimates range from 3.7% to 31% of study participants in the few studies that have attempted to estimate its scope. However, because of definitional inconsistencies and methodological deficiencies in past work, comparisons across studies are difficult. The issue is further complicated by studies that have measured cyberstalking as method of pursuit for spatial stalkers. The current study is an attempt to build upon and overcome the shortcomings of past work in the area. Accordingly, the purpose of this dissertation is threefold: (1) to estimate the extent of cyberstalking among a sample of undergraduate students at a large urban university in the Midwest, using a definition of cyberstalking based on legal statutes and previous research; (2) to utilize the lifestyle/routine activities theory perspective to better understand correlates of victimization; and (3) to determine whether this theoretical framework can be used to explain victimization in cyberspace. Findings indicate that the number of online social networks an individual owns, the number of daily updates to those networks, use of AOL Instant Messenger (AOL IM), allowing strangers to access personal information online (e.g., adding strangers as friends to social networking sites), using online services designed to monitor online network activity (i.e., profile trackers), engaging in online deviance, and low self-control are significant predictors of cyberstalking victimization, suggesting moderate support for lifestyle/routine activities theory in explaining cyberstalking. Possible methods for preventing cyberstalking are discussed. Details: Cincinnati, OH: University of Cincinnati, School of Criminal Justice, 2010. 186p. Source: Internet Resource: Dissertation: Accessed July 1, 2011 at: http://www.cech.uc.edu/criminaljustice/files/2010/05/reyns_dissertation.pdf Year: 2010 Country: United States URL: http://www.cech.uc.edu/criminaljustice/files/2010/05/reyns_dissertation.pdf Shelf Number: 121932 Keywords: Computer CrimesCyberstalkingHarassmentInternet CrimesStalkingVictimization |
Author: Logan, TK Title: Research on Partner Stalking: Putting the Pieces Together Summary: The information for this paper was drawn primarily from peer reviewed published articles and published reports from the National Institute of Justice or other agencies such as the Stalking Resource Center and the National Network to End Domestic Violence. Stalking definitions vary greatly in the literature and some are hard to decipher. This paper attempted to restrict publications to those that defined stalking as: (1) repeated (2 or more) acts and (2) including some element of fear or concern about safety; or to those that defined stalking as a significant stressor or intrusion. General research trends are described within each section. Some of the trends that were noted are preliminary as they are from only one or two studies. Time and space limitations made it impossible to include every relevant research trend or citation. The literature often uses the term victim and survivor interchangeably, with some disciplines favoring one over the other. The use of the term victim in this paper is not meant to imply that women who have experienced partner violence and stalking are not survivors. Rather, the use of the word victim was simply chosen to provide a consistent terminology throughout the paper and should be thought of as interchangeable with survivor. Research indicates that most stalkers are male, and most stalking victims, especially partner stalking victims, are female (especially when definitions include the fear element). Because of the gendered nature of partner stalking, many studies focus on female partner stalking victims. Details: Lexington, KY: University of Kentucky, Department of Behavioral Science & Center on Drug and Alcohol Research, 2010. 27p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed August 9, 2011 at: http://www.cdar.uky.edu/CoerciveControl/docs/Research%20on%20Partner%20Stalking%20Report.pdf Year: 2010 Country: International URL: http://www.cdar.uky.edu/CoerciveControl/docs/Research%20on%20Partner%20Stalking%20Report.pdf Shelf Number: 122331 Keywords: Domestic ViolenceIntimate Partner ViolenceStalking |
Author: Truman, Jennifer Lynn Title: Examining Intimate Partner Stalking and Use of Technology in Stalking Victimization Summary: This research was designed to expand the empirical knowledge and understanding of stalking victimization by examining both intimate and nonintimate stalking and the use of technology to stalk. To accomplish this, the current research examined differences among intimate and nonintimate stalking, stalking types (cyberstalking, stalking with technology, and traditional stalking), and stalking types by the victim-offender relationship. Specifically, this research examined demographic differences, differences in severity, seriousness, victim reactions and responses to and effects of stalking. Findings revealed that overall intimate partner stalking victims experienced greater levels of seriousness and severity of stalking, and expressed more fear than nonintimate partner stalking victims. Additionally, they were more likely to have engaged in self-protective or help-seeking actions. With regard to stalking type, victims who were cyberstalked and stalked with technology experienced a greater variety of stalking behaviors, were more likely to define the behaviors as stalking, and took more actions to protect themselves than victims who were traditionally stalked. Moreover, those who were stalked with technology experienced a greater severity of stalking. And when examining differences among stalking types by the victim-offender relationship, intimate partner stalking victims were still more likely than nonintimate partner stalking victims to have experienced a greater severity of stalking. This research contributed to existing research by being the first to examine cyberstalking and stalking with technology with a national dataset, and adding to the knowledge of differences between intimate and nonintimate partner stalking. Implications for policy and for research are discussed. Details: Orlando, FL: Department of Sociology, University of Central Florida, 2010. 241p. Source: Internet Resource: Dissertation: Accessed September, 1, 2011 at: http://etd.fcla.edu/CF/CFE0003022/Truman_Jennifer_L_201005_PhD.pdf Year: 2010 Country: United States URL: http://etd.fcla.edu/CF/CFE0003022/Truman_Jennifer_L_201005_PhD.pdf Shelf Number: 122583 Keywords: CybercrimeCyberstalkingIntimate Partner ViolenceStalking |
Author: European Commission Title: Feasibility Study to Assess the Possibilities, Opportunities and Needs to Standardise National Legislation on Violence Against Women, Violence Against Children and Sexual Orientation Violence Summary: Over the last three decades the connections between interpersonal violence, inequalities and human rights have received increasing attention in law, research and practice in the three fields of violence that are subject of this study: violence against women (VAW), violence against children (VAC) and sexual orientation violence (SOV). Human rights thinking has expanded beyond the use of violence by states in recognising that violence targeted at individuals as members of social groups and/or experienced disproportionately by members of disadvantaged groups is a state responsibility. Th is places the three forms of violence squarely in the arena of fundamental rights. The failure of states and state agencies to adequately protect the public against, and support them in the aftermath of discriminatory violence and violence resulting in harm to a child’s development not only means that victims experience violations of basic human rights, but that they are also deprived of equal access to basic needs as well as to justice, employment, leisure, community and political participation, freedom of movement — the latter all core elements of European concepts of citizenship. Whether in public or private, unchecked violence places fundamental rights in jeopardy. Definitions of violence vary widely, making the topic challenging and contested: moreover, international treaties and conventions frequently fail to provide specific definitions of the types of actions that should be prohibited or require protection. One outcome of this project is a set of proposed definitions of the forms of violence it addresses. The central task was to provide a coherent analysis of the need for, possibilities of, and potential hurdles to standardised national legislation across three fields of violence for EU Member States. To this end the Commission set five research tasks: the mapping of relevant legislation on VAW, VAC and SOV and its implementation; comparative analysis; a set of minimum standards; a model of factors affecting perpetration and how these are, or could be, addressed in legislation; a set of recommendations. Details: Luxembourg: Publications Office of the European Union, 2010. 216p., app. Source: Internet Resource: accessed October 6, 2011 at: http://www.europarl.europa.eu/eplive/expert/multimedia/20110405MLT17038/media_20110405MLT17038.pdf Year: 2010 Country: Europe URL: http://www.europarl.europa.eu/eplive/expert/multimedia/20110405MLT17038/media_20110405MLT17038.pdf Shelf Number: 122993 Keywords: Child Abuse and NeglectDiscriminationFamily ViolenceForced MarriageHonour-Based ViolenceHuman RightsInterpersonal ViolenceIntimate Partner ViolenceStalkingViolence Against Women (Europe) |
Author: Rosay, Andre B. Title: Investigation and Prosecution of Sexual Assault, Domestic Violence, and Stalking Summary: This project examined sexual assault, domestic violence, and stalking cases reported to the Alaska State Troopers. More specifically, we examined all sexual assault and sexual abuse of minor incidents reported to Alaska State Troopers in 2003 and 2004, all assaults in domestic violence incidents reported to Alaska State Troopers in 2004, and all stalking incidents reported to Alaska State Troopers from 1994 to 2005. In addition, we examined whether cases were referred to the Alaska Department of Law for prosecution, were accepted for prosecution, and resulted in a conviction. This report provides a thorough overview of key characteristics on reports, suspects, victims, incidents, witnesses, and legal resolutions. This report also examines the predictors of legal resolutions. Finally, this report examines whether rural cases are less likely to have successful legal resolutions. Results clearly show that what Alaska State Troopers do when investigating reported offenses can increase rates of referral, acceptance, and conviction. In addition, we found no evidence of under-enforcement in rural areas. Contrary to allegations that the provision of criminal justice services is diminished in rural areas, we found that geographic isolation does not hinder case processing. These results are important for other rural jurisdictions. Most importantly, we found that cases first reported to local first responders had better legal resolutions. This finding suggests that the resources provided by these first responders (i.e., reduced response time and enhanced investigation) increase the rates of prosecutions and convictions. This finding is important not just in Alaska, but in other jurisdictions where official responders are not immediately available. Details: Anchorage, AK: University of Alaska Anchorage, Justice Center, 2010. 246p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed November 22, 2011 at: https://www.ncjrs.gov/pdffiles1/nij/grants/236429.pdf Year: 2010 Country: United States URL: https://www.ncjrs.gov/pdffiles1/nij/grants/236429.pdf Shelf Number: 123416 Keywords: Domestic ViolenceFirst RespondersIntimate Partner ViolenceSexual Assaults (Alaska)Stalking |
Author: Black, Michele C. Title: National Intimate Partner and Sexual Violence Survey: 2010 Summary Report Summary: Sexual violence, stalking, and intimate partner violence are major public health problems in the United States. Many survivors of these forms of violence can experience physical injury, mental health consequences such as depression, anxiety, low self-esteem, and suicide attempts, and other health consequences such as gastrointestinal disorders, substance abuse, sexually transmitted diseases, and gynecological or pregnancy complications. These consequences can lead to hospitalization, disability, or death. Our understanding of these forms of violence has grown substantially over the years. However, timely, ongoing, and comparable national and state-level data are lacking. Less is also known about how these forms of violence impact specific populations in the United States or the extent to which rape, stalking, or violence by a romantic or sexual partner are experienced in childhood and adolescence. CDC’s National Center for Injury Prevention and Control launched the National Intimate Partner and Sexual Violence Survey in 2010 with the support of the National Institute of Justice and the Department of Defense to address these gaps. The primary objectives of the National Intimate Partner and Sexual Violence Survey are to describe: • The prevalence and characteristics of sexual violence, stalking, and intimate partner violence • Who is most likely to experience these forms of violence • The patterns and impact of the violence experienced by specific perpetrators • The health consequences of these forms of violence The National Intimate Partner and Sexual Violence Survey is an ongoing, nationally representative random digit dial (RDD) telephone survey that collects information about experiences of sexual violence, stalking, and intimate partner violence among non-institutionalized English and/or Spanish-speaking women and men aged 18 or older in the United States. NISVS provides detailed information on the magnitude and characteristics of these forms of violence for the nation and for individual states. This report presents information related to several types of violence that have not previously been measured in a national population-based survey, including types of sexual violence other than rape; expressive psychological aggression and coercive control, and control of reproductive or sexual health. This report also provides the first ever simultaneous national and state-level prevalence estimates of violence for all states. The findings presented in this report are for 2010, the first year of data collection, and are based on complete interviews. Complete interviews were obtained from 16,507 adults (9,086 women and 7,421 men). The relative standard error (RSE), which is a measure of an estimate’s reliability, was calculated for all estimates in this report. If the RSE was greater than 30%, the estimate was deemed unreliable and is not reported. Consideration was also given to the case count. If the estimate was based on a numerator ≤20, the estimate is also not reported. Estimates for certain types of violence reported by subgroups of men such as rape victimization by racial/ethnic group are not shown because the number of men in these subgroups reporting rape was too small to calculate a reliable estimate. These tables are included in the report so that the reader can easily determine what was assessed and where gaps remain. Key Findings Sexual Violence by Any Perpetrator • Nearly 1 in 5 women (18.3%) and 1 in 71 men (1.4%) in the United States have been raped at some time in their lives, including completed forced penetration, attempted forced penetration, or alcohol/drug facilitated completed penetration. • More than half (51.1%) of female victims of rape reported being raped by an intimate partner and 40.8% by an acquaintance; for male victims, more than half (52.4%) reported being raped by an acquaintance and 15.1% by a stranger. • Approximately 1 in 21 men (4.8%) reported that they were made to penetrate someone else during their lifetime; most men who were made to penetrate someone else reported that the perpetrator was either an intimate partner (44.8%) or an acquaintance (44.7%). • An estimated 13% of women and 6% of men have experienced sexual coercion in their lifetime (i.e., unwanted sexual penetration after being pressured in a nonphysical way); and 27.2% of women and 11.7% of men have experienced unwanted sexual contact. • Most female victims of completed rape (79.6%) experienced their first rape before the age of 25; 42.2% experienced their first completed rape before the age of 18 years. • More than one-quarter of male victims of completed rape (27.8%) experienced their first rape when they were 10 years of age or younger. Stalking Victimization by Any Perpetrator • One in 6 women (16.2%) and 1 in 19 men (5.2%) in the United States have experienced stalking victimization at some point during their lifetime in which they felt very fearful or believed that they or someone close to them would be harmed or killed. • Two-thirds (66.2%) of female victims of stalking were stalked by a current or former intimate partner; men were primarily stalked by an intimate partner or an acquaintance, 41.4% and 40.0%, respectively. • Repeatedly receiving unwanted telephone calls, voice, or text messages was the most commonly experienced stalking tactic for both female and male victims of stalking (78.8% for women and 75.9% for men). • More than half of female victims and more than one-third of male victims of stalking indicated that they were stalked before the age of 25; about 1 in 5 female victims and 1 in 14 male victims experienced stalking between the ages of 11 and 17. Violence by an Intimate Partner • More than 1 in 3 women (35.6%) and more than 1 in 4 men (28.5%) in the United States have experienced rape, physical violence, and/or stalking by an intimate partner in their lifetime. • Among victims of intimate partner violence, more than 1 in 3 women experienced multiple forms of rape, stalking, or physical violence; 92.1% of male victims experienced physical violence alone, and 6.3% experienced physical violence and stalking. • Nearly 1 in 10 women in the United States (9.4%) has been raped by an intimate partner in her lifetime, and an estimated 16.9% of women and 8.0% of men have experienced sexual violence other than rape by an intimate partner at some point in their lifetime. • About 1 in 4 women (24.3%) and 1 in 7 men (13.8%) have experienced severe physical violence by an intimate partner (e.g., hit with a fist or something hard, beaten, slammed against something) at some point in their lifetime. • An estimated 10.7% of women and 2.1% of men have been stalked by an intimate partner during their lifetime. • Nearly half of all women and men in the United States have experienced psychological aggression by an intimate partner in their lifetime (48.4% and 48.8%, respectively). • Most female and male victims of rape, physical violence, and/or stalking by an intimate partner (69% of female victims; 53% of male victims) experienced some form of intimate partner violence for the first time before 25 years of age. Impact of Violence by an Intimate Partner • Nearly 3 in 10 women and 1 in 10 men in the United States have experienced rape, physical violence, and/or stalking by an intimate partner and reported at least one impact related to experiencing these or other forms of violent behavior in the relationship (e.g., being fearful, concerned for safety, post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms, need for health care, injury, contacting a crisis hotline, need for housing services, need for victim’s advocate services, need for legal services, missed at least one day of work or school). Violence Experienced by Race/Ethnicity • Approximately 1 in 5 Black (22.0%) and White (18.8%) non-Hispanic women, and 1 in 7 Hispanic women (14.6%) in the United States have experienced rape at some point in their lives. More than one-quarter of women (26.9%) who identified as American Indian or as Alaska Native and 1 in 3 women (33.5%) who identified as multiracial non-Hispanic reported rape victimization in their lifetime. • One out of 59 White non-Hispanic men (1.7%) has experienced rape at some point in his life. Nearly one-third of multiracial non-Hispanic men (31.6%) and over one-quarter of Hispanic men (26.2%) reported sexual violence other than rape in their lifetimes. • Approximately 1 in 3 multiracial non-Hispanic women (30.6%) and 1 in 4 American Indian or Alaska Native women (22.7%) reported being stalked during their lifetimes. One in 5 Black non-Hispanic women (19.6%), 1 in 6 White non-Hispanic women (16.0%), and 1 in 7 Hispanic women (15.2%) experienced stalking in their lifetimes. • Approximately 1 in 17 Black non-Hispanic men (6.0%), and 1 in 20 White non-Hispanic men (5.1%) and Hispanic men (5.1%) in the United States experienced stalking in their lifetime. • Approximately 4 out of every 10 women of non-Hispanic Black or American Indian or Alaska Native race/ethnicity (43.7% and 46.0%, respectively), and 1 in 2 multiracial non-Hispanic women (53.8%) have experienced rape, physical violence, and/or stalking by an intimate partner in their lifetime. • Nearly half (45.3%) of American Indian or Alaska Native men and almost 4 out of every 10 Black and multiracial men (38.6% and 39.3%, respectively) experienced rape, physical violence and/or stalking by an intimate partner during their lifetime. Number and Sex of Perpetrators • Across all types of violence, the majority of both female and male victims reported experiencing violence from one perpetrator. • Across all types of violence, the majority of female victims reported that their perpetrators were male. • Male rape victims and male victims of non-contact unwanted sexual experiences reported predominantly male perpetrators. Nearly half of stalking victimizations against males were also perpetrated by males. Perpetrators of other forms of violence against males were mostly female. Violence in the 12 Months Prior to Taking the Survey • One percent, or approximately 1.3 million women, reported being raped by any perpetrator in the 12 months prior to taking the survey. • Approximately 1 in 20 women and men (5.6% and 5.3%, respectively) experienced sexual violence victimization other than rape by any perpetrator in the 12 months prior to taking the survey. • About 4% of women and 1.3% of men were stalked in the 12 months prior to taking the survey. • An estimated 1 in 17 women and 1 in 20 men (5.9% and 5.0%, respectively) experienced rape, physical violence, and/or stalking by an intimate partner in the 12 months prior to taking the survey. Health Consequences • Men and women who experienced rape or stalking by any perpetrator or physical violence by an intimate partner in their lifetime were more likely to report frequent headaches, chronic pain, difficulty with sleeping, activity limitations, poor physical health and poor mental health than men and women who did not experience these forms of violence. Women who had experienced these forms of violence were also more likely to report having asthma, irritable bowel syndrome, and diabetes than women who did not experience these forms of violence. State-Level Estimates • Across all types of violence examined in this report, state-level estimates varied with lifetime estimates for women ranging from 11.4% to 29.2% for rape; 28.9% to 58% for sexual violence other than rape; and 25.3% to 49.1% for rape, physical violence, and/or stalking by an intimate partner. • For men, lifetime estimates ranged from 10.8% to 33.7% for sexual violence other than rape; and 17.4% to 41.2% for rape, physical violence, and/or stalking by an intimate partner. Details: Atlanta, GA: National Center for Injury Prevention and Control, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2011. 124p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed January 12, 2012 at: http://www.cdc.gov/ViolencePrevention/pdf/NISVS_Report2010-a.pdf Year: 2011 Country: United States URL: http://www.cdc.gov/ViolencePrevention/pdf/NISVS_Report2010-a.pdf Shelf Number: 123595 Keywords: Domestic ViolenceIntimate Partner ViolenceSexual AssaultSexual ViolenceStalkingVictimization SurveyViolence Against Women |
Author: Feltes, Thomas et al Title: Gender-Based Violence, Stalking and Fear of Crime Summary: Due to their age and lifestyle, female students as a group are especially at risk from various forms of sexual violence – the aim of the three-year European-wide research project “Gender-based Violence, Stalking and Fear of Crime” (2009-2011) is to verify this hypothesis and to collect, analyse and compare relevant data in five European countries. By analysing the qualitative and quantitative data in a comparative survey it aims to rising awareness for the victimisation of female students. In the consequence this will support universities in their efforts to decrease sexual violence at universities, to help victims and to implement adequate instruments of prevention and intervention. The EU project, which has been funded through the programme “Prevention of and Fight Against Crime” initiated by the EU Commission on General Justice, Freedom And Security, is being coordinated at the Department of Criminology at Ruhr University Bochum in Germany. Besides the German university the consortium covers the University of Bologna, Jagiellonian University in Cracow/Poland, Universitát Autonoma de Barcelona/Spain and Keele University/U.K. Details: Bochum, Germany: Ruhr-University Bochum, 2012. 394p. Source: EU-Project 2009-2011: Internet Resource: Accessed March 18, 2012 at http://vmrz0183.vm.ruhr-uni-bochum.de/gendercrime/pdf/gendercrime_final_report_printable_version.pdf Year: 2012 Country: Europe URL: http://vmrz0183.vm.ruhr-uni-bochum.de/gendercrime/pdf/gendercrime_final_report_printable_version.pdf Shelf Number: 124572 Keywords: Fear of CrimeGender-Based ViolenceSexual ViolenceStalking |
Author: Balloni, Augusto Title: Gender-based Violence, Stalking and Fear of Crime: Country Report Italy Summary: The results of this research, and especially the interviews with stakeholders within and outwith the universities, clearly reveal the difficulty of defining the nature and the extent of the phenomenon. The parties involved cannot say how often the University of Bologna’s female students may have encountered problems with stalking, harassment or sexual violence, due to a lack of incontrovertible data on the phenomenon. There is no formal documentation regarding episodes or elements connected with the cases that have occurred within the university or requests for assistance on the part of students in difficulty. Indeed, many interviewees believe that the target, the reference sample, is too specific, in that it covers a sector of the population - female university students – that is not easy to identify, because even when a victim formally reports the crime to the police, detailed information on the victim is often not available. If the offence is not reported, and the victim decides instead to confide in family or friends, this information will be even more difficult to find; and even if the student turns to a specialised centre against gender violence, the fact she is a university student has little bearing on the collection of statistical data. Details: Bochum, Germany: Ruhr-University Bochum, 2012. 32p. Source: EU-Project 2009-2011: Internet Resource: Accessed March 18, 2012 at http://vmrz0183.vm.ruhr-uni-bochum.de/gendercrime/pdf/gendercrime_country_report_italy_english.pdf Year: 2012 Country: Italy URL: http://vmrz0183.vm.ruhr-uni-bochum.de/gendercrime/pdf/gendercrime_country_report_italy_english.pdf Shelf Number: 124574 Keywords: Colleges and UniversitiesFear of CrimeFemale VictimsGender-Based ViolenceSexual ViolenceStalking |
Author: Czapska, Janina Title: Gender-based Violence, Stalking and Fear of Crime Summary: Due to their age and lifestyle, female students as a group are especially at risk from various forms of sexual violence – the aim of the three-year European-wide research project “Gender-based Violence, Stalking and Fear of Crime” (2009-2011) is to verify this hypothesis and to collect, analyse and compare relevant data in five European countries. By analysing the qualitative and quantitative data in a comparative survey it aims to rising awareness for the victimisation of female students. In the consequence this will support universities in their efforts to decrease sexual violence at universities, to help victims and to implement adequate instruments of prevention and intervention. The EU project, which has been funded through the programme “Prevention of and Fight Against Crime” initiated by the EU Commission on General Justice, Freedom And Security, is being coordinated at the Department of Criminology at Ruhr University Bochum in Germany. Besides the German university the consortium covers the University of Bologna, Jagiellonian University in Cracow/Poland, Universitát Autonoma de Barcelona/Spain and Keele University/U.K. This research conducted within the framework of GAP grant project was the first of this scale and nature in Poland. Research in this area should continue in the form of cyclical polling research in universities/institutions of higher education that are participating in the project. It is also recommended to further expand the existing questionnaire for its application in other institutions 57 of higher education. Conducting research in a few countries at the same time allows deepening of the analysis. Due to the introduction of criminalization of stalking in 2011, it would be most desirable to conduct European comparative research both in the area of legal regulations as well in the practical application of the law. Such research – in addition to an unquestionable knowledge-building value – would provide a unique opportunity to analyze innovation through law, especially since – as suggest the results of the GAP project – European countries differ in their recognition of stalking as a crime. Details: Bochum, Germany: Ruhr-University Bochum, 2012. 59p. Source: EU-Project 2009-2011: Internet Resource: Accessed March 18, 2012 at http://vmrz0183.vm.ruhr-uni-bochum.de/gendercrime/pdf/gendercrime_country_report_poland_english.pdf Year: 2012 Country: Poland URL: http://vmrz0183.vm.ruhr-uni-bochum.de/gendercrime/pdf/gendercrime_country_report_poland_english.pdf Shelf Number: 124575 Keywords: Colleges and UniversitiesFear of CrimeFemale VictimsGender-Based ViolenceSexual ViolenceStalking |
Author: Bodelon, Encarna Title: Gender-based Violence, Stalking and Fear of Crime: Country Report Spain Summary: Due to their age and lifestyle, female students as a group are especially at risk from various forms of sexual violence – the aim of the three-year European-wide research project “Gender-based Violence, Stalking and Fear of Crime” (2009-2011) is to verify this hypothesis and to collect, analyse and compare relevant data in five European countries. By analysing the qualitative and quantitative data in a comparative survey it aims to rising awareness for the victimisation of female students. In the consequence this will support universities in their efforts to decrease sexual violence at universities, to help victims and to implement adequate instruments of prevention and intervention. The EU project, which has been funded through the programme “Prevention of and Fight Against Crime” initiated by the EU Commission on General Justice, Freedom And Security, is being coordinated at the Department of Criminology at Ruhr University Bochum in Germany. Besides the German university the consortium covers the University of Bologna, Jagiellonian University in Cracow/Poland, Universitát Autonoma de Barcelona/Spain and Keele University/U.K.. Most of the recommendations and proposals derived from the research in the Spanish case were obtained from the qualitative fieldwork. Many similar proposals were made in the discussion groups and in-depth interviews with the students and interviews with the agents. However, in the case of the students, there was a high degree of consensus that university authorities, and those outside the university, had a responsibility and obligation to implement preventive and response measures against gender-based violence in general, and sexual violence in particular. However, in the case of those stakeholders interviewed, their ignorance of the phenomenon and its incidence and causes, means that many are not able to clearly see this responsibility, or to propose measures to prevent it or act upon it in the university. Details: Bochum, Germany: Ruhr-University Bochum, 2012. 38p. Source: EU-Project 2009-2011: Internet Resource: Accessed March 18, 2012 at http://vmrz0183.vm.ruhr-uni-bochum.de/gendercrime/pdf/gendercrime_country_report_spain_english.pdf Year: 2012 Country: Spain URL: http://vmrz0183.vm.ruhr-uni-bochum.de/gendercrime/pdf/gendercrime_country_report_spain_english.pdf Shelf Number: 124576 Keywords: Colleges and UniversitiesFear of CrimeFemale VictimsGender-Based ViolenceSexual ViolenceStalking |
Author: Stenning, Philip Title: Gender-based Violence, Stalking and Fear of Crime: Country Report United Kingdom Summary: Due to their age and lifestyle, female students as a group are especially at risk from various forms of sexual violence – the aim of the three-year European-wide research project “Gender-based Violence, Stalking and Fear of Crime” (2009-2011) is to verify this hypothesis and to collect, analyse and compare relevant data in five European countries. By analysing the qualitative and quantitative data in a comparative survey it aims to rising awareness for the victimisation of female students. In the consequence this will support universities in their efforts to decrease sexual violence at universities, to help victims and to implement adequate instruments of prevention and intervention. The EU project, which has been funded through the programme “Prevention of and Fight Against Crime” initiated by the EU Commission on General Justice, Freedom And Security, is being coordinated at the Department of Criminology at Ruhr University Bochum in Germany. Besides the German university the consortium covers the University of Bologna, Jagiellonian University in Cracow/Poland, Universitát Autonoma de Barcelona/Spain and Keele University/U.K.. The UK NUS (2010) study has suggested that in order to raise awareness, challenge inappropriate behaviour and attitudes and make students feel safe on campus, awareness of violence against women must be raised amongst staff and students. Sloane (2011) has suggested that student unions, potentially via equality officers, take responsibility for running educational campaigns, and that such campaigns should be commonplace. Campaigns should include information around the acts that constitute gender-based sexual violence, the accountability of perpetrators, its prevalence and impacts on survivors (NUS, 2010; Sloane, 2011). Such work is likely to help faculty staff, women and friends who are told about victimising experiences recognise how to respond effectively. Sloane (2011) suggested that such training be made available to all staff throughout the university, to ensure they are made aware of the relevant institutional policies and procedures on how to address harassment and violence when it is reported. Indeed, the NUS (2010) argued that gender-based sexual violence issues must be supported by strong institutional policy on the topic. Policy must be linked to meaningful outcomes, such as reducing instances of harassment, abuse and stalking, through educational or rehabilitation methods. Policy must also address the actions that institutions will take against perpetrators and specify how they will be supported to address their behaviour. Other recommendations made by the NUS (2010) study and closely echoed in the recommendations of Sloane (2011), include ensuring there are clear channels of communication for reporting offences to the university/police and for seeking counselling and support. Counselling services should provide a free, quality service which 35% 42% 43% 43% 46% 56% 59% 61% 75% 88% To be advised without a third party To have a person allocated to me To be advised without bureaucracy To be advised anonymously To be able to contact someone 24 hrs a day To get an appointment straight away To be treated with compassion No pressure into making a complaint To be advised for free To be listened to and taken seriously Students' wishes (n=626) 45 ensures confidentiality, 24-hour cover, female support workers and is easily accessible. Emphasis was also placed on ensuring women feel believed when they relay their accounts and that the university can effectively refer to other agencies if need cannot be met by the institution. As such, strong links between universities, student unions, police, National Health Services and victim services must be developed and fostered. The NUS also recommend peer-led self-help groups for those who have experienced victimisation as well as the option of one-to-one counselling. The support services that are available need to be widely promoted and contact information should be included on student union websites (NUS, 2010; Valls et al., 2007). Services must also remain sensitive to the particular needs of international students including language barriers and religious factors which may impact on the victimisation experience (Sloane, 2011). Details: Bochum, Germany: Ruhr-University Bochum, 2012. 50p. Source: EU-Project 2009-2011: Internet Resource: Accessed March 18, 2012 at http://vmrz0183.vm.ruhr-uni-bochum.de/gendercrime/pdf/gendercrime_country_report_united_kingdom_english.pdf Year: 2012 Country: United Kingdom URL: http://vmrz0183.vm.ruhr-uni-bochum.de/gendercrime/pdf/gendercrime_country_report_united_kingdom_english.pdf Shelf Number: 124577 Keywords: Colleges and UniversitiesFear of CrimeFemale VictimsGender-Based ViolenceSexual ViolenceStalking |
Author: Poynton, Suzanne Title: Apprehended Personal Violence Orders - A Survey of NSW Magistrates and Registrars Summary: Under Section 18 of the Crimes (Domestic and Personal Violence) Act a person(s) who is in need of protection from someone with whom they do not have a domestic relationship can personally apply for an APVO through the Local Court or the police can apply for an APVO on their behalf. For an APVO to be granted, the court must be satisfied on the balance of probabilities that the person(s) in need of protection has reasonable grounds to fear and in fact fears that the defendant will engage in violence, stalking or intimidation against them. If an APVO is granted, the court can prohibit or restrict the defendant from approaching the protected person; prohibit or restrict the defendant’s access to the protected person’s home or place of work; and prohibit or restrict the possession of firearms or other weapons by the defendant. If a defendant knowingly breaches conditions of an APVO order then he or she can be imprisoned for up to two years. In order to assess the frequency with which APVOs are sought for frivolous or vexatious reasons, the Bureau conducted an online survey of 210 NSW magistrates and registrars. Of the 207 respondents who dealt with APVOs in the last 12 months, 121 (58.5%) indicated that they occasionally or sometimes dealt with frivolous or vexatious APVOs. Nearly 30 per cent indicated that they rarely dealt with frivolous or vexatious APVOs and five respondents reported they never dealt with these types of matters. Only 21 respondents (10.1%) reported that more than half of the APVOs that they deal with are frivolous or vexatious in nature. Magistrates and registrars reported that frivolous or vexatious APVO applications typically involve trivial/insignificant matters or a single act of harassment. Neighbours and acquaintances/former friends are most often the parties involved in frivolous or vexatious APVOs, with 64 per cent of respondents reporting that neighbours are frequently, usually or almost always involved in these types of matters, and 42 per cent reporting that acquaintances/former friends are frequently, usually or almost always the disputing parties. Disputes between public housing authorities/tenants were the next most frequent category of response, with nearly one-third of respondents stating that frivolous or vexatious APVOs frequently, usually or almost always involve disputes between these parties. Details: Sydney: NSW Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research, 2012. 13p. Source: Internet Resoruce: Contemporary Issues in Crime and Justice, No. 161: Accessed May 9, 2012 at: http://www.bocsar.nsw.gov.au/lawlink/bocsar/ll_bocsar.nsf/vwFiles/CJB161.pdf/$file/CJB161.pdf Year: 2012 Country: Australia URL: http://www.bocsar.nsw.gov.au/lawlink/bocsar/ll_bocsar.nsf/vwFiles/CJB161.pdf/$file/CJB161.pdf Shelf Number: 125221 Keywords: Domestic Violence (Australia)HarassmentPersonal ViolenceProtection OrdersStalking |
Author: Catalano, Shannan Title: Stalking Victims in the United States - Revised Summary: Presents findings on victims of nonfatal stalking in the U.S., based on the largest data collection of such behavior to date. Data were collected in a supplement to the National Crime Victimization Survey (NCVS) and sponsored by the Office on Violence Against Women (OVW). Topics covered in the report include stalking and harassment prevalence by demographic characteristics, duration of stalking and harassment, and the nature of behaviors experienced by victims. Details: Washington, DC: Bureau of Justice Statistics, 2012. 10p. Source: Special Report NCJ224527: Internet Resource: Accessed October 7, 2012 at http://bjs.ojp.usdoj.gov/content/pub/pdf/svus_rev.pdf Year: 2012 Country: United States URL: http://bjs.ojp.usdoj.gov/content/pub/pdf/svus_rev.pdf Shelf Number: 126579 Keywords: HarassmentStalkingVictimization SurveysVictims of Crime |
Author: Birdsey, Emma M. Title: Temporal Trends and Characteristics of Intimidation Summary: Aim: The current study has two aims. The first is to investigate whether there has been any change in the characteristics of intimidation in recent years that might inform which types of offences are becoming more common. The second aim is to investigate whether the characteristics of intimidation related to domestic violence (DV) have changed over time. Method: Characteristics of intimidation incidents across 2006-2011 were collated from the NSW Police database. Additional information was coded from 600 free-text event narratives for intimidation incidents across 3 years (2006, 2008, 2010). Analyses tested whether characteristics of intimidation incidents changed over this period. Analyses were carried out for intimidation and for intimidation related to DV separately. Results: Intimidation related to DV increased over time. Intimidation and intimidation related to DV involving injured victims also increased. In intimidation related to DV, male POIs decreased and female POIs increased, and male victims increased and female victims decreased over time. The relationship of unknown POI differed over time, however there was no change in other relationship types. The type of intimidation and the location did not change. Additionally, there was no change over time in intimidation and intimidation related to DV with a weapon, face to face contact, AVO issued/applied for, or prior AVO. Conclusion: Intimidation related to DV is driving the overall increase in intimidation observed in NSW over recent years. Details: Sydney: NSW Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research, 2013. 14p. Source: Internet Resource: Issue Paper no. 83: Accessed May 13, 2013 at: http://www.bocsar.nsw.gov.au/Lawlink/bocsar/ll_bocsar.nsf/vwFiles/BB83.pdf/$file/BB83.pdf Year: 2013 Country: Australia URL: http://www.bocsar.nsw.gov.au/Lawlink/bocsar/ll_bocsar.nsf/vwFiles/BB83.pdf/$file/BB83.pdf Shelf Number: 128719 Keywords: Crime StatisticsDomestic AbuseDomestic ViolenceHarassmentIntimidation (Australia)Stalking |
Author: Stachelberg, Winnie Title: Preventing Domestic Abusers and Stalkers from Accessing Guns Summary: While opinions may differ as to the scope of the Second Amendment right to keep and bear arms, almost all Americans agree that criminals should not have access to guns. Congress recognized the need to keep guns out of the hands of dangerous people more than 40 years ago when it passed the Gun Control Act of 1968, which prohibited felons and other dangerous individuals from owning guns. The Supreme Court has also sanctioned restrictions on gun ownership by such individuals, repeatedly holding in recent decisions that such federal and state laws to prohibit gun ownership by criminals and other dangerous individuals are well within the bounds of the Constitution. One group of people who are at a heightened risk of gun attacks is women who are targets of domestic violence and stalking. We know that intimate-partner violence is a pernicious crime that affects millions of women across the country. Women are more than three-and-a-half times as likely to be killed by an intimate partner than men. In 2005, 40 percent of female homicide victims nationwide were killed by a current or former intimate partner, and guns were used in more than half of those murders. The lethality of domestic-violence incidents—and therefore the risk to women—increases exponentially when a firearm is present in the home: Having a gun in the home increases the risk of homicide of an intimate partner by eight times compared to households without guns. This risk of homicide increases by 20 times compared to households without guns when there is a history of domestic violence in the family. Congress has previously recognized the unique dangers posed by domestic abusers with guns. In the mid-1990s it enacted legislation to ban domestic-violence misdemeanants and individuals subject to some domestic-violence restraining orders from buying or possessing guns. But the current laws do not go far enough to protect women from the dangers presented by batterers and stalkers with guns. Federal law that is currently designed to protect women from gun violence suffers from four key weaknesses: ◾Background checks are not required on all gun sales, so domestic abusers prohibited from gun ownership can easily circumvent the gun-ownership ban by buying a gun from a private seller. ◾The federal limits on domestic abusers are too narrow because they omit abusers in dating relationships and abusers subject to some emergency restraining orders. ◾There is no federal ban on gun ownership for stalkers convicted of misdemeanor crimes and who are subject to restraining orders. ◾Federal, state, and local authorities do not adequately enforce the laws already in place by disarming and prosecuting domestic abusers who violate the current laws and maintain possession of firearms. This report examines all of these gaps in current law and law enforcement, and cites case examples of how each gap enabled domestic abusers and stalkers to obtain the guns they used to murder women. These weaknesses in federal law and law enforcement leave untold numbers of women vulnerable to gun violence committed by men who have harassed, stalked, threatened, and terrorized them, often for years. Congress must act to close these loopholes in the law and ensure that victims of stalking and domestic violence are not further victimized, looking at the end of a gun. Details: Washington, DC: Center for American Progress, 2013. 14p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed August 19, 2013 at: http://www.americanprogress.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/GunsStalkersBrief-3.pdf Year: 2013 Country: United States URL: http://www.americanprogress.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/GunsStalkersBrief-3.pdf Shelf Number: 129636 Keywords: Abusive MenDomestic AbuseGun Control (U.S.)Gun PolicyGun ViolenceStalking |
Author: Breiding, Matthew J. Title: Intimate Partner Violence in the United States - 2010. Summary: Intimate partner violence (IPV) is a significant public health problem. IPV includes physical violence, sexual violence, stalking, and psychological aggression (including coercive tactics) by a current or former intimate partner. In addition to the immediate impact, IPV has lifelong consequences. A number of studies have shown that beyond injury and death, victims of IPV are more likely to report a range of acute and chronic mental and physical health conditions (Black, 2011; Coker, Smith, & Fadden, 2005; Coker, Davis, Arias, Desai, Sanderson, Brandt, & Smith, 2002). Many survivors of these forms of violence experience physical injury; depression, anxiety, low self-esteem, and suicide attempts; and other health conditions such as gastro-intestinal disorders, substance abuse, sexually transmitted diseases, and gynecological or pregnancy complications. These conditions can lead to hospitalization, disability, or death. During the past decade, our understanding of the biological response to acute and chronic stress that links IPV with negative health conditions has deepened (Black, 2011; Crofford, 2007; Pico-Alfonso, Garcia-Linares, Celda-Navarro, Herbert, & Martinez, 2004). Additionally, a number of behavioral factors are likely to play a role in the link between IPV and adverse health conditions, as victims of IPV are more likely to smoke, engage in heavy/binge drinking, engage in behaviors that increase the risk of HIV, and endorse other unhealthy behaviors (Breiding, Black, & Ryan, 2008; Coker et al., 2002). Findings in this report are based on data from the National Intimate Partner and Sexual Violence Survey (NISVS). NISVS is an ongoing, nationally representative, random digit dial telephone survey that collects information about experiences of intimate partner violence, sexual violence, and stalking from non-institutionalized English- and/or Spanish-speaking women and men aged 18 or older in the United States. This report provides findings from the 2010 data collection pertaining to intimate partner violence. Some of the key topics covered in this report are: - Overall lifetime and 12-month prevalence of IPV victimization - Prevalence of IPV victimization by sociodemographic variables, such as race/ethnicity, sexual orientation, and income - Impact of IPV victimization - Characteristics of IPV victimization such as number of lifetime perpetrators, sex of perpetrator, and age at first IPV victimization - Services needed and disclosure related to IPV victimization The findings presented in this report are based on complete interviews from the NISVS survey. Complete interviews were obtained from 16,507 adults (9,086 women and 7,421 men) in 2010. The relative standard error (RSE), which is a measure of an estimate's reliability, was calculated for all estimates in this report. If the RSE was greater than 30%, the estimate was deemed unreliable and is not reported. Consideration was also given to the case count. If the estimate was based on a numerator < 20, the estimate is also not reported. Estimates for certain types of violence reported by subgroups are not shown because the number of people reporting a specific type of victimization was too few to calculate a reliable estimate. These non-reportable estimates are noted in the report so the reader can easily determine what was assessed and where gaps remain. A detailed description of the violence types measured, as well as the verbatim violence victimization questions, are presented in the Appendices of the report. Details: Atlanta, GA: National Center for Injury Prevention and Control, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2014. 96p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed March 21, 2014 at: http://www.cdc.gov/violenceprevention/pdf/cdc_nisvs_ipv_report_2013_v17_single_a.pdf Year: 2014 Country: United States URL: http://www.cdc.gov/violenceprevention/pdf/cdc_nisvs_ipv_report_2013_v17_single_a.pdf Shelf Number: 131999 Keywords: Crime StatisticsIntimate Partner ViolenceSexual ViolenceStalking |
Author: European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA) Title: Violence Against Women: An EU-Wide Survey. Main Results Summary: This FRA survey is the first of its kind on violence against women across the 28 Member States of the European Union (EU). It is based on interviews with 42,000 women across the EU, who were asked about their experiences of physical, sexual and psychological violence, including incidents of intimate partner violence ('domestic violence'). The survey also included questions on stalking, sexual harassment, and the role played by new technologies in women's experiences of abuse. In addition, it asked about their experiences of violence in childhood. Based on the detailed findings, FRA suggests courses of action in different areas that are touched by violence against women and go beyond the narrow confines of criminal law, ranging from employment and health to the medium of new technologies. Details: Luxembourg: Publications Office of the European Union, 2014. 198p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed April 8, 2014 at: http://fra.europa.eu/sites/default/files/fra-2014-vaw-survey-main-results_en.pdf Year: 2014 Country: Europe URL: http://fra.europa.eu/sites/default/files/fra-2014-vaw-survey-main-results_en.pdf Shelf Number: 132048 Keywords: Domestic ViolenceIntimate Partner ViolenceSexual HarassmentSexual ViolenceStalkingViolence Against Women |
Author: Harvey, Shannon Title: Barriers Faced by Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender People in Accessing Domestic Abuse, Stalking and Harassment, and Sexual Violence Services Summary: In 2012, the Welsh Government began consultation on legislation to end violence against women, domestic abuse and sexual violence. Stakeholders, in early White Paper consultations, suggested that lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people may experience specific barriers when seeking support (Faraz Bhula, 2012). Alongside the development of Wales' men's domestic abuse service, some research has been conducted around gay and bisexual men's experiences of domestic abuse. However, LGBT people remain under-represented in referrals to the All Wales Domestic Abuse & Sexual Violence Helpline and Multi-Agency Risk Assessment Conferences (MARACs) across Wales, despite evidence suggesting that they experience domestic and sexual abuse at similar rates to heterosexual, cis women (Donovan et al, 2006; Henderson, 2003). Service provision in Wales and elsewhere in the UK has remained focused on the needs of heterosexual, cis women and knowledge of any differences in LGBT people's support needs is limited. Seeking to further develop policy-making and legislation in this area, the Welsh Government (2013) committed to identifying barriers faced by LGBT people in accessing domestic abuse, stalking and harassment, and sexual violence services. NatCen Social Research was commissioned in January 2014 to conduct this research. Details: Cardiff, Wales: Welsh Government Social Research, 2014. 80p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed June 17, 2014 at: http://wales.gov.uk/docs/caecd/research/2014/140604-barriers-faced-lgbt-accessing-domestic-abuse-services-en.pdf Year: 2014 Country: United Kingdom URL: http://wales.gov.uk/docs/caecd/research/2014/140604-barriers-faced-lgbt-accessing-domestic-abuse-services-en.pdf Shelf Number: 132489 Keywords: Bias-Motivated CrimesDiscriminationDomestic ViolenceGays, Crime AgainstGays, Lesbians and Bisexuals, Crime AgainstHate CrimesMinority GroupsSexual HarassmentSexual ViolenceStalkingVictim Services |
Author: Laxton, Clare Title: Virtual world, real fear: Women's Aid report into online abuse, harassment and stalking. Summary: In September 2013 Women's Aid hosted a conference to discuss the impact of online stalking and harassment on women - thank you to all members who attended and contributed to the conference. The conference aimed to demonstrate the intrinsic link between online abuse, harassment and stalking, and domestic violence as part of a pattern of behaviours by perpetrators. The conference also explored the fear that online abuse, harassment and stalking created and the impact it had on women. This report draws out the key themes from the conference and makes recommendations for Government, social media providers and criminal justice agencies. Key messages from the report - The violence women experience from online abuse, stalking and harassment is completely unacceptable; - The impact that this online abuse has on women's lives has been underestimated by all statutory services. It is vital that online abuse, harassment and stalking is seen and dealt with as part of the spectrum of domestic violence; - Women's Aid believes that the responses that women victims of online abuse, harassment and stalking receive from the police, criminal justice system and social media providers are currently inadequate. Key recommendations: - The update of the Government Action Plan on VAWG should emphasise that online abuse is a key part of violence against women, and state that what is a crime offline is a crime online. - Social media providers should ensure that any perpetrator of online abuse, harassment and stalking of women through their platforms is curtailed as soon as possible. This should be done through the development of online abuse, stalking and harassment policies and protocols, and creating easier reporting and blocking mechanisms to safeguard victims of abuse. - Guidance and training for all professionals engaged in VAWG cases in criminal justice agencies including the police and the Crown Prosecution Service on the nature and impact of online abuse, harassment and stalking and the need to recognise it as part of the spectrum of domestic violence perpetrated against women by men. Details: Bristol, UK: Women's Aid Federation of England, 2014. 24p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed August 22, 2014 at: http://www.womensaid.org.uk/page.asp?section=00010001001400130007ionTitle=Virtual+World+Real+Fear Year: 2014 Country: United Kingdom URL: http://www.womensaid.org.uk/page.asp?section=00010001001400130007§ionTitle=Virtual+World+Real+Fear Shelf Number: 131889 Keywords: Online VictimizationSexual HarassmentStalkingViolence Against Women (U.K.) |
Author: Breiding, Matthew J. Title: Prevalence and Characteristics of Sexual Violence, Stalking, and Intimate Partner Violence Victimization - National Intimate Partner and Sexual Violence Survey, United States, 2011 Summary: This report examines the prevalence of sexual violence, stalking, and intimate partner violence victimization using data from the 2011 National Intimate Partner and Sexual Violence Survey. In the United States, an estimated 19.3% of women and 1.7% of men have been raped during their lifetimes; an estimated 1.6% of women reported that they were raped in the 12 months preceding the survey. An estimated 43.9% of women and 23.4% of men experienced other forms of sexual violence during their lifetimes. The percentages of women and men who experienced these other forms of sexual violence victimization in the 12 months preceding the survey were an estimated 5.5% and 5.1%, respectively. An estimated 15.2% of women and 5.7% of men have been a victim of stalking during their lifetimes. An estimated 4.2% of women and 2.1% of men were stalked in the 12 months preceding the survey. The lifetime and 12-month prevalences of rape by an intimate partner for women were an estimated 8.8% and 0.8%, respectively. An estimated 15.8% of women and 9.5% of men experienced other forms of sexual violence by an intimate partner in their lifetime, while an estimated 2.1% of both men and women experienced these forms of sexual violence by a partner in the 12 months prior to the survey. Details: Atlanta, GA: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2014. 24p. Source: Internet Resource: Surveillance Summaries, Vol. 63, no. 8: Accessed September 12, 2014 at: http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/pdf/ss/ss6308.pdf Year: 2014 Country: United States URL: http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/pdf/ss/ss6308.pdf Shelf Number: 133290 Keywords: Intimate Partner ViolenceRapeSexual Abuse (U.S.)Sexual AssaultSexual ViolenceStalkingViolence Against Women |
Author: Pew Research Center Title: Online Harassment Summary: Harassment-from garden-variety name calling to more threatening behavior- is a common part of online life that colors the experiences of many web users. Fully 73% of adult internet users have seen someone be harassed in some way online and 40% have personally experienced it, according to a new survey by the Pew Research Center. Pew Research asked respondents about six different forms of online harassment. Those who witnessed harassment said they had seen at least one of the following occur to others online: - 60% of internet users said they had witnessed someone being called offensive names - 53% had seen efforts to purposefully embarrass someone - 25% had seen someone being physically threatened - 24% witnessed someone being harassed for a sustained period of time - 19% said they witnessed someone being sexually harassed - 18% said they had seen someone be stalked Those who have personally experienced online harassment said they were the target of at least one of the following online: - 27% of internet users have been called offensive names - 22% have had someone try to purposefully embarrass them - 8% have been physically threatened - 8% have been stalked - 7% have been harassed for a sustained period - 6% have been sexually harassed In Pew Research Center's first survey devoted to the subject, two distinct but overlapping categories of online harassment occur to internet users. The first set of experiences is somewhat less severe: it includes name-calling and embarrassment. It is a layer of annoyance so common that those who see or experience it say they often ignore it. The second category of harassment targets a smaller segment of the online public, but involves more severe experiences such as being the target of physical threats, harassment over a sustained period of time, stalking, and sexual harassment. Of those who have been harassed online, 55% (or 22% of all internet users) have exclusively experienced the "less severe" kinds of harassment while 45% (or 18% of all internet users) have fallen victim to any of the "more severe" kinds of harassment Details: Washington, DC: Pew Research Center, 2014. 64p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed October 23, 2014 at: http://www.pewinternet.org/files/2014/10/PI_OnlineHarassment_102214_pdf.pdf Year: 2014 Country: United States URL: http://www.pewinternet.org/files/2014/10/PI_OnlineHarassment_102214_pdf.pdf Shelf Number: 133808 Keywords: HarassmentInternet CrimesOnline VictimizationSexual HarassmentStalking |
Author: Cantor, David Title: Report on the AAU Campus Climate Survey on Sexual Assault and Sexual Misconduct Summary: Members of the Association of American Universities (AAU) are working to combat sexual assault and misconduct on their campuses. As an association of research universities, AAU decided in 2014 that the best way to help its members address this issue was to develop and implement a scientific survey to better understand the attitudes and experiences of their students with respect to sexual assault and sexual misconduct. The survey's primary goal was to provide participating institutions of higher education (IHEs) with information to inform their policies to prevent and respond to sexual assault and misconduct. In addition, members hoped that the survey would provide useful information to policymakers as well as make a significant contribution to the body of academic research on this complex issue. In the fall of 2014, AAU contracted with Westat, a research firm, to work with a university team of researchers and administrators to design and implement the survey, entitled the AAU Campus Climate Survey on Sexual Assault and Sexual Misconduct. The survey was administered at the end of the spring 2015 semester on the campuses of 27 IHEs, 26 of which are AAU member universities. This report provides a description of the survey methodology and key results. The survey was designed to assess the incidence, prevalence and characteristics of incidents of sexual assault and misconduct. It also assessed the overall campus climate with respect to perceptions of risk, knowledge of resources available to victims, and perceived reactions to an incident of sexual assault or misconduct. The report provides selected results for five questions: - How extensive is nonconsensual sexual contact? - How extensive is sexual harassment, stalking and intimate partner violence? - Who are the victims? - To whom do students report or talk about the incidents? - What is the campus climate around sexual assault and sexual misconduct? This study is one of the first to provide an empirical assessment of these questions across a wide range of IHEs. Prior studies of campus sexual assault and misconduct have been implemented for a small number of IHEs or for a national sample of students with relatively small samples for any particular IHE. To date, comparisons across surveys have been problematic because of different methodologies and different definitions. The AAU study is one of the first to implement a uniform methodology across multiple IHEs and to produce statistically reliable estimates for each IHE. It was designed to provide separate estimates for incidents involving two types of sexual contact (penetration and sexual touching) and four tactics (physical force, drugs and alcohol, coercion, absence of affirmative consent), as well as behaviors such as sexual harassment, stalking, and intimate partner violence. Providing this level of detail allows campus administrators to tailor policies by these very different types of sexual assault and misconduct. Details: Rockville, MD: Westat, 2015. 288p. Source: Internet Resource: Prepared for: The Association of American Universities: Accessed September 21, 2015 at: https://www.aau.edu/uploadedFiles/AAU_Publications/AAU_Reports/Sexual_Assault_Campus_Survey/Report%20on%20the%20AAU%20Campus%20Climate%20Survey%20on%20Sexual%20Assault%20and%20Sexual%20Misconduct.pdf Year: 2015 Country: United States URL: https://www.aau.edu/uploadedFiles/AAU_Publications/AAU_Reports/Sexual_Assault_Campus_Survey/Report%20on%20the%20AAU%20Campus%20Climate%20Survey%20on%20Sexual%20Assault%20and%20Sexual%20Misconduct.pdf Shelf Number: 136848 Keywords: Campus CrimesColleges and UniversitiesIntimate Partner ViolenceRapeSexual AssaultsSexual HarassmentSexual MisconductStalking |
Author: Title: ReCharge Women's Technology Technology Safety, Legal Resources, Research and Training Summary: In 2013, the Domestic Violence Resource Centre Victoria (DVRCV) conducted research examining how technology is being used by perpetrators to stalk and abuse women, as well as how these technologies may be used to support and improve women's safety. This research, titled SmartSafe, is one of the few studies conducted internationally on technology-facilitated stalking and abuse in the context of family violence. In 2015, DVRCV has collaborated with Women's Legal Services NSW and WESNET in a national women's technology safety project, funded by ACCAN, called ReCharge: Women's Technology Safety, Legal Resources, Research & Training. As part of this project, DVRCV conducted a national survey of technology-facilitated abuse drawing on the experience of family violence practitioners across Australia. In 2013, DVRCV conducted the first Australian study into the use of technology by perpetrators in the context of domestic violence. This Victorian-based study, called SmartSafe, utilised a multiple-methods approach and included two surveys: one with 152 domestic violence sector practitioners, and one with 46 women who had experienced domestic violence. The findings showed that the use of technology by perpetrators to stalk and abuse women was a significant emerging issue in Victoria. Details: Melbourne: SmartSafe, Domestic Violence Research Centre Victoria, 24p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed January 28, 2016 at: http://www.smartsafe.org.au/sites/default/files/National-study-findings-2015.pdf Year: 2015 Country: Australia URL: http://www.smartsafe.org.au/sites/default/files/National-study-findings-2015.pdf Shelf Number: 137695 Keywords: Domestic ViolenceFamily ViolenceOnline VictimizationStalkingViolence Against Women |
Author: Tasmania Law Reform Institute Title: Bullying Summary: The Tasmania Law Reform Institute has released Final Report No 22, Bullying. The Report considers what role the law should play in responding to all types of bullying behaviours including cyber-bullying and questions whether the current legal regime in Tasmania can provide appropriate redress for victims. The Report makes 15 recommendations. Together, the recommendations are designed to create a tiered response to bullying consisting of: a criminal justice response reserved for the most serious examples which extends the offence of stalking in the Criminal Code to cover common bullying behaviours. The Report also recommends changes to the Justices Act to facilitate applications for restraint orders on the grounds of bullying. a civil justice response which seeks solutions through mediation and restorative justice practices. The Report recommends incorporating a mediation procedure into the restraint order process, or extending the jurisdiction of the Anti-Discrimination Commissioner to deal with complaints of bullying. Recommendations are also made to ensure that all Tasmanian workers have access to workplace bullying complaint processes. the development of legislative requirements for schools to implement anti-bullying policies and procedures. Policies should address the best interests of all children involved, whether those children are involved as victims, participants or bystanders. Details: Hobart: Tasmania Law Reform Institute, 2016. 72p. Source: Internet Resource: Final Report no. 22: Accessed http://www.utas.edu.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0011/789698/Bullying_FR_A4_Print.pdf Year: 2016 Country: Australia URL: http://www.utas.edu.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0011/789698/Bullying_FR_A4_Print.pdf Shelf Number: 137799 Keywords: BullyingCyberbullyingCybercrimesInternet CrimesStalking |
Author: Jagori Title: Safe City Free of Violence Against Women and Girls Initiative: A Study of Delhi Police Help Lines Summary: This study is part of the Safe City free From Violence against Women and Girls Initiative, Delhi of Jagori in partnership with UN Women, UN HABITAT and the Department of Women and Child Development, Delhi Government. Women and girls are vulnerable to violence both within and outside the home and we recognize that the continuum of violence continues from personal/private to public space. We have been working on this issue since 2005 and have completed several surveys and safety audits in order to understand the problem in detail and in all its diversity. A baseline survey was conducted in Delhi in 2010 to focus on violence against women including sexual harassment, staring, touching, sexual assault, attempted rape, stalking and lewd comments, in a wide range of public spaces. The sample was 5010 men and women above the age of 16 covering all nine districts of Delhi. Conducted to research into factors that create greater safety and inclusion for women in public spaces around the city, the survey gathered and analyzed information about the following: (a) nature and forms of gender‐based violence and/or harassment faced by women, (b) spots where these incidents happen and that are perceived to be unsafe and inaccessible to women, (c) strategies adopted by women to defend themselves, (d) role of governing agencies and the police in safeguarding women's rights, and (e) societal perceptions and attitudes towards rights of women and girls. After conducting interviews with a diverse range of stakeholders, both government and non government, a draft strategic framework document was drawn up in 2010. This document identified several key areas of intervention in order to have a sustainable impact on reducing vulnerability and increasing safety. These include: - Urban planning and design of public spaces - Provision and management of urban infrastructure and services - Public transport - Policing - Legislation, justice and support to victims - Education - Civic awareness and participation This study has been carried out by Multiple Action Research Group (MARG) and provides data on the gaps in the functioning of Delhi Police helplines which are a first point contact for most people. Further the study also provides recommendations on addressing these gaps. Details: New Delhi: Safe Delhi, 2012. 50p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed March 16, 2016 at: http://safedelhi.in/sites/default/files/reports/Delhi%20Police%20Helpline%20Study_Jagori_Marg_final.pdf Year: 2012 Country: India URL: http://safedelhi.in/sites/default/files/reports/Delhi%20Police%20Helpline%20Study_Jagori_Marg_final.pdf Shelf Number: 138262 Keywords: Gender-Based ViolencePolice HelplinesPublic SpacesRapeSexual AssaultSexual HarassmentStalkingViolence Against Women, Girls |
Author: Krebs, Christopher Title: Campus Climate Survey Validation Study: Final Technical Report Summary: The White House Task Force to Protect Students From Sexual Assault was established in January 2014. One of its primary goals is to provide institutions of higher education with tools that they can use to more effectively respond to and prevent rape and sexual assault. As noted in the first report of the Task Force (Not Alone), one such tool is a climate survey designed to help schools understand the magnitude and nature of sexual victimization experienced by students. The Task Force specifically encouraged all schools to conduct a climate survey and included a draft survey in its toolkit (https://www.notalone.gov/ assets/ovw-climate-survey.pdf). In response to increasing recognition of the role of campus climate surveys, in August 2014 the Office on Violence Against Women (OVW) funded the Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS), within the U.S. Department of Justice, to develop and test a pilot campus climate survey that could be implemented by schools or researchers, and used to address key Task Force goals and issues related to the measurement of rape and sexual assault in self-report surveys. BJS contracted with RTI International, a nonprofit research organization, to collaborate on the design and implementation of the Campus Climate Survey Validation Study (CCSVS). The purpose of the CCSVS was to develop and test a survey instrument and methodology for efficiently collecting valid school-level data on campus climate and sexual victimization. This Executive Summary provides an overview of the methodology used in the CCSVS and key substantive findings, with more comprehensive information presented in the full CCSVS Research Report . CCSVS Research Goals The CCSVS was designed and implemented around a number of research goals: 1. Develop a survey instrument that uses a collection of techniques to efficiently and confidentially collect valid data from undergraduate students about their sexual victimization experiences and their perceptions of the campus climate related to sexual harassment and sexual assault. 2. Design and implement a survey methodology that collects data from a sample of students, achieves response rate and survey completion targets, minimizes nonresponse bias, and ensures that the resulting estimates are precise and representative of the undergraduate student populations at participating schools. 3. Collect data from students at multiple schools using a standardized methodology (e.g., within a standardized time period and using a standardized instrument and process) to produce school-specific results that can be compared across schools and are useful to participating schools. The project was to also generate estimates of sexual victimization that can potentially be compared to estimates generated by the National Crime Victimization Survey (NCVS) for identifying promising methods to inform NCVS redesign activities and other data collections that measure rape and sexual assault. Details: Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Justice, Bureau of Justice Statistics, 2016. 425p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed March 17, 2016 at: http://www.bjs.gov/content/pub/pdf/ccsvsftr.pdf Year: 2016 Country: United States URL: http://www.bjs.gov/content/pub/pdf/ccsvsftr.pdf Shelf Number: 138315 Keywords: Campus Crimes Campus Security Colleges and Universities Intimate Partner Violence Rape Sex Crimes Sexual Assaults Sexual Harassment Sexual Misconduct Sexual Victimization StalkingVictimization Survey |
Author: U.S. Government Accountability Office Title: Smartphone Data: Information and Issues Regarding Surreptitious Tracking Apps That Can Facilitate Stalking Summary: GAO found that the majority of the reviewed websites for smartphone tracking applications (apps) marketed their products to parents or employers to track the location of their children or employees, respectively, or to monitor them in other ways, such as intercepting their smartphone communications. Several tracking apps were marketed to individuals for the purpose of tracking or intercepting the communications of an intimate partner to determine if that partner was cheating. About one-third of the websites marketed their tracking apps as surreptitious, specifically to track the location and intercept the smartphone communications of children, employees, or intimate partners without their knowledge or consent. The key concerns of the stakeholders with whom GAO spoke-including domestic violence groups, privacy groups, and academics-were questions about: (1) the applicability of current federal laws to the manufacture, sale, and use of surreptitious tracking apps; (2) the limited enforcement of current laws; and (3) the need for additional education about tracking apps. GAO found that some federal laws apply or potentially apply to smartphone tracking apps, particularly those that surreptitiously intercept communications such as e-mails or texts, but may not apply to some instances involving surreptitiously tracking location. Statutes that may be applicable to surreptitious tracking apps, depending on the circumstances of their sale or use, are statutes related to wiretapping, unfair or deceptive trade practices, computer fraud, and stalking. Stakeholders also expressed concerns over what they perceived to be limited enforcement of laws related to tracking apps and stalking. Some of these stakeholders believed it was important to prosecute companies that manufacture surreptitious tracking apps and market them for the purpose of spying. Domestic violence groups stated that additional education of law enforcement officials and consumers about how to protect against, detect, and remove tracking apps is needed. The federal government has undertaken educational, enforcement, and legislative efforts to protect individuals from the use of surreptitious tracking apps, but stakeholders differed over whether current federal laws need to be strengthened to combat stalking. Educational efforts by the Department of Justice (DOJ) have included funding for the Stalking Resource Center, which trains law enforcement officers, victim service professionals, policymakers, and researchers on the use of technology in stalking. With regard to enforcement, DOJ has prosecuted a manufacturer and an individual under the federal wiretap statute for the manufacture or use of a surreptitious tracking app. Some stakeholders believed the federal wiretap statute should be amended to explicitly include the interception of location data and DOJ has proposed amending the statute to allow for the forfeiture of proceeds from the sale of smartphone tracking apps and to make the sale of such apps a predicate offense for money laundering. Stakeholders differed in their opinions on the applicability and strengths of the relevant federal laws and the need for legislative action. Some industry stakeholders were concerned that legislative actions could be overly broad and harm legitimate uses of tracking apps. However, stakeholders generally agreed that location data can be highly personal information and are deserving of privacy protections. Details: Washington, DC: GAO, 2016. 43p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed May 16, 2016 at: http://www.gao.gov/assets/680/676738.pdf Year: 2016 Country: United States URL: http://www.gao.gov/assets/680/676738.pdf Shelf Number: 139047 Keywords: Domestic ViolenceOnline CommunicationsSmartphonesStalkingViolence Against Women |
Author: Rosay, Andre B. Title: Documentation for Analysis of Violence Against American and Alaska Native Women and Men - 2010 Findings From the National Intimate Partner And Sexual Violence Survey (NISVS) by the National Institute of Justice Summary: The National Intimate Partner and Sexual Violence Survey (NISVS) includes eight victimization sections (psychological aggression [PA], coercive control and entrapment [CCE], physical violence [PV], elder abuse - psychological aggression [EPA], elder abuse - coercive control and entrapment [ECCE], elder abuse - physical violence [EPV], stalking [S], and sexual violence [SV]). This document summarizes the structure of the NISVS data and explains how analysis files were created from the original data files provided by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). All of the NISVS analyses by the National Institute of Justice (NIJ) should be replicable with the following documentation. Chapter 1 provides an overview of this technical report, and describes the sequence of tasks that NIJ performed to create composites from the original data files. A broad overview on the structure of the NISVS data is then presented in Chapter 2 (additional information is available in CDC documents). More specifically, Chapter 2 provides a summary of (a) how CDC variable names were changed to a simpler structure and (b) perpetrator identifiers can be tracked from question to question, and across sections. Chapter 3 provides an overview of how data were extracted, merged, checked, and cleaned in each victimization section (PA to SV). An overview on sampling and weighting is provided in Chapter 4 (additional information is available in RTI documents). Specific details for each section of the NISVS survey are then provided in Chapters 5 through 12. Chapter 13 provides a detailed summary of data cleaning. Respondent level files are created in Chapter 14 and perpetrator level files are created in Chapters 15 through 17. Chapter 18 provides an overview of the stalking follow‐up questions. Victimization estimates are then computed in Chapter 19. An overview of the sexual violence follow‐up section is presented in Chapter 20. Chapter 21 provides an overview of the general follow‐up section, Chapter 22 provides an overview of the intimate partner section, Chapter 23 provides an overview of the respondent characteristics section, and Chapter 24 provides an overview of the health section. Final data files are then created and documented in Chapter 25. Final codebooks are available separately (see Appendix B and C). Chapter 26 provides documentation for all tables and figures in the full report of violence against American Indian and Alaska Native women and men. All syntax files are included in Appendix A. Details: Washington, DC: U.S. National Institute of Justice, 2016. 392p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed August 27, 2016 at: https://www.ncjrs.gov/pdffiles1/nij/grants/250087.pdf Year: 2016 Country: United States URL: https://www.ncjrs.gov/pdffiles1/nij/grants/250087.pdf Shelf Number: 140067 Keywords: Intimate Partner ViolenceSexual ViolenceStalkingVictimization SurveysVictims of ViolenceViolence Against Women |
Author: Smith, Sharon G. Title: The National Intimate Partner and Sexual Violence Survey. 2010-2012 State Report Summary: Sexual violence, stalking, and intimate partner violence are important public health problems that have an enormous and long term physical and mental health impact on victims. These types of violence often occur early in the lifespan of victims, and for most subtypes, women and racial and ethnic minorities are most affected. While our knowledge about sexual violence, stalking, and intimate partner violence victimization has improved over the years, we still lack information on state-level prevalence estimates and the characteristics of the violence (e.g., type of perpetrator) at the state level. State-level data are important because they help to understand the burden of these problems at the state level and can inform state efforts to prevent and respond to these problems. This is the first report to offer this information at the state-level. The National Intimate Partner and Sexual Violence Survey (NISVS) is an ongoing, national random-digit-dial (RDD) telephone survey on sexual violence (SV), stalking, and intimate partner violence (IPV) victimization. Data, representative of the U.S. non-institutionalized adult population, are collected from the non-institutionalized English - and Spanish-speaking U.S. population aged 18 or older using a dual-frame sampling strategy that includes landlines and cell phones. NISVS provides national and state-level estimates of these types of violence, collecting data from all 50 states and the District of Columbia. The primary objectives of this report are to describe at the national and state levels: - The prevalence and characteristics of sexual violence, stalking, and intimate partner violence; - The impact of violence experienced by an intimate partner; - The prevalence of these forms of violence experienced as minors; - The health conditions associated with these forms of violence. This report uses the NISVS data years of 2010-2012 to produce national and state victimization estimates. All of the estimates provided in the text are from the aggregated 2010-2012 data because this combined dataset provides the greatest number of reliable estimates at the national and state levels. National estimates for the most recent data year, 2012, are included as a point of reference and can be found in Appendix A. Estimates in this report are based on data from completed interviews conducted between January 2010 and December 2012. An interview is defined as completed if the participant provided responses to the questions for demographics, general health, and all violence victimization sections. The relative standard error (RSE), which is a measure of an estimate's statistical reliability, was calculated for all estimates in this report. If the RSE was greater than 30%, the estimate was considered unreliable and is not reported. The case count was also considered; if the estimate was based on a numerator - 20, the estimate is also not reported. We have provided estimates for the 50 states and the District of Columbia (DC). In our descriptions of the findings, when there are reliable estimates for fewer than all states and DC, we have indicated the number of states with reliable estimates and counted DC as a state, for a total of 51. Details: Atlanta, GA: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2017. 272p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed May 17, 2017 at: https://www.cdc.gov/violenceprevention/pdf/NISVS-StateReportBook.pdf Year: 2017 Country: United States URL: https://www.cdc.gov/violenceprevention/pdf/NISVS-StateReportBook.pdf Shelf Number: 145521 Keywords: Intimate Partner Violence Sexual Violence Stalking Victimization SurveysVictims of Violence Violence Against Women |
Author: Great Britain. HM Crown Prosecution Service Inspectorate Title: Living in fear - the police and CPS response to harassment and stalking Summary: Harassment and stalking are crimes of persistence. It is the unrelenting repeat behaviour by the perpetrator experienced in its totality, which seems inescapable and inevitable, that has such a detrimental effect on the victim. The actions in themselves may seem unremarkable, and this may partly explain why some victims suffer repeat behaviour over a prolonged period before reporting it to police, or do not report it at all. Harassment and stalking can often also be crimes of control. This is particularly the case when the victimisation is associated with a current or previous controlling and coercive relationship. A report by Dr Lorraine Sheridan and the Network for Surviving Stalking, in which 829 victims of stalking were surveyed, found that the victims were aged between 10 and 73. Men and women from all backgrounds were affected and many were professionals (38 percent). Dr Sheridan concluded that almost anyone can become a victim of stalking. In this inspection, we used the term stalking for behaviour that constituted harassment and where the perpetrator appeared to be fixated and/or obsessed with another. There are many links between harassment and stalking, including the legislation itself. However, we found that the police and the CPS frequently struggled to separate the two offences. We found that stalking in particular was misunderstood by the police and the CPS. As a result, it often went unrecognised. The police sometimes mis-recorded stalking offences, or worse, did not record them at all. Prosecutors on occasions missed opportunities to charge stalking offences, instead preferring other offences, particularly harassment. We also found that the absence of a single accepted, consistent definition of stalking is a very significant contributory factor to the unacceptably low number of recorded crimes and prosecutions. It is also one of the main reasons that police officers, staff and prosecutors gave us varying interpretations of stalking. The result for victims was that offences were not dealt with appropriately by using stalking-specific powers (for example, the power to search premises and seize evidence). Incidents of victimisation were dealt with as isolated cases and were not treated seriously or quickly enough, and victims were left at risk. In some cases, the charges did not reflect the seriousness of the offending. Details: London: HMIC, 2017. 114p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed July 29, 2017 at: http://www.justiceinspectorates.gov.uk/hmicfrs/wp-content/uploads/living-in-fear-the-police-and-cps-response-to-harassment-and-stalking.pdf Year: 2017 Country: United Kingdom URL: http://www.justiceinspectorates.gov.uk/hmicfrs/wp-content/uploads/living-in-fear-the-police-and-cps-response-to-harassment-and-stalking.pdf Shelf Number: 146604 Keywords: HarassmentStalkingVictims of Crime |
Author: Ramsey, Carolyn B. Title: Firearms in the Family Summary: This Article considers firearms prohibitions for domestic violence offenders, in light of recent Supreme Court decisions and the larger, national debate about gun control. Unlike other scholarship in the area, it confronts the costs of ratcheting up the scope and enforcement of such firearms bans and argues that the politicization of safety has come at the expense of a sound approach to gun control in the context of intimate-partner abuse. In doing so, it expands scholarly arguments against mandatory, one-size-fits-all criminal justice responses to domestic violence in a direction that other critics have been reluctant to go, perhaps because of a reflexive, cultural distaste for firearms. Both sides in the gun-control debate rely on starkly contrasting, gendered images: the helpless female victim in need of state protection, including strictly enforced gun laws, and the self-defending woman of the National Rifle Association's "Refuse to be a Victim" campaign. Neither of these images accurately describes the position of many domestic violence victims whose partners have guns, and neither image responds effectively to the heterogeneity of conduct leading to a protection order or a misdemeanor domestic violence conviction that triggers federal and state firearms bans. The emphasis the National Rifle Association and other pro-gun organizations place on a woman's right to carry a firearm in self-defense ignores the most common homicide risks women face, as well as structural inequalities that contribute to gender violence. Yet, significant problems afflict an uncritically anti-gun approach, too. First, gun-control advocates tend to ignore the reality of intimate-partner abuse-a reality in which some women fight back; some family livelihoods depend on jobs for which firearms are required; not all misdemeanants become murderers; and victims have valid reasons for wanting to keep their partners out of prison. Second, to the extent that proponents of strict gun regulation also exhibit distaste for racialized crime-control policies, they fail to acknowledge that zealously enforced gun laws aimed at preventing domestic violence would put more people-including more men and women from vulnerable communities of color-behind bars. The current framing of the argument for tougher firearms laws for abusers is derived from public health research on domestic violence that makes a reduction in intimate homicide rates its chief goal. Yet, since hundreds of thousands of domestic violence misdemeanants are thought to possess illegal guns, reformers should also consider the potential costs to victims and their families of a move to sweeping and rigorous enforcement. Changes in gun laws and their implementation in the context of intimate-partner abuse ought to cure over- and under-breadth problems; provide greater autonomy to abuse victims and protections for those who resist their batterers; reconsider the lack of an exemption to the misdemeanor ban for firearms required on-duty; and include a better mechanism for restoring gun rights to misdemeanants who have shown the capacity to avoid reoffending. Details: Boulder, CO: University of Colorado Law School, 2018. 89p. Source: Internet Resource: U of Colorado Law Legal Studies Research Paper No. 18-5: Accessed March 9, 2018 at: https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=3117096 Year: 2018 Country: United States URL: https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=3117096 Shelf Number: 149409 Keywords: Elder AbuseFamily ViolenceGun ControlGun ViolenceGun-Related ViolenceIntimate Partner ViolenceProtection OrderStalking |
Author: Greater London Authority Title: A Safer City for Women and Girls: The London Tackling Violence Against Women and Girls Strategy 2018-2021 Summary: Measures in the Mayor's Violence Against Women and Girls Strategy include: Prevention A wide-ranging programme to improve safety in public spaces at all times of day and night including a new Women's Night Safety Charter, partnership to tackle unwanted sexual behaviour on the transport network and a new campaign to tackle attitudes of everyday sexism and misogyny Working with partners across London to gain accreditation to the UN Women's Safer Cities and Safe Public Spaces initiative Work to encourage positive attitudes, behaviours and healthy relationships amongst children and young people with specialist advocates in schools and pupil referral units, Safer Schools Officers and a whole school prevention pilot in Croydon Supporting a Good Work Standard to address the #MeToo phenomenon and ensure abuse is not tolerated in the workplace Tackling perpetrators Working with police and criminal justice partners to ensure the most effective handling of dangerous individuals including over $3m to expand the rehabilitative Drive project which provides additional support to help reform the behaviour of perpetrators New measures to tackle stalking Calling on the Government to create a register for perpetrators of domestic abuse and violence, and for tougher sentences for image-based offenses such as 'upskirting' and 'revenge porn' Protection and support for victims $200,000 to support the London Councils Harmful Practices programme - training nurses, midwives and social workers to recognize abuses such as FGM and intervene A complete review of adherence to the Victims' Code of Practice, a new online portal for victims of crime, and a study into rape cases from a victim's perspective Significant investment in general and specialist services for victims including $13m for sexual violence services, $5m for Domestic Violence services, and over $9m for services in London's boroughs The Strategy was informed by a major consultation exercise which included: Consultation with survivors - 15 focus groups with 133 survivors of Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG), 19 one-to-one interviews and an online survey with 90 respondents. 12 consultation workshops on evidence and data sharing, female offenders, BAME, perpetrators, prevention, enforcement, support for victims, prostitution, harmful practices, priority boroughs plus a roundtable with survivors and another with partners and stakeholders. 400 face-to-face interviews with members of the public across the areas of London where VAWG is most prevalent. Details: London: GLA, 2018. 100p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed May 4, 2018 at: https://www.london.gov.uk/sites/default/files/vawg_strategy_2018-21.pdf Year: 2018 Country: United Kingdom URL: https://www.london.gov.uk/sites/default/files/vawg_strategy_2018-21.pdf Shelf Number: 150056 Keywords: Gender-Based ViolenceRevenge PornographyStalkingViolence PreventionViolent Against Women, GirlsViolent Crime |
Author: Great Britain. HM Government Title: Ending Violence against Women and Girls: 2016-2020. Strategy Refresh Summary: In March 2016 we published our new VAWG Strategy, which sets out an ambitious programme of reform, and was supported by increased funding of L80m. In March 2017, the Chancellor announced additional funding of 20m pounds to support victims and survivors of domestic abuse, bringing the total committed to L100m, over twice what was committed during the previous Parliament. Our long-term vision remains the same, and so this Strategy is set out according to our existing strategic pillars: prevention, provision of services, partnership working, and pursuing perpetrators. The crimes addressed through this strategy are the crimes that disproportionately affect women and girls, which are domestic abuse, sexual violence, stalking, and so-called 'honour-based' violence including forced marriage and Female Genital Mutilation (FGM). We will continue to measure our success by seeking reductions in overall prevalence of these crimes as measured by the Crime Survey of England and Wales, and seek increased prosecutions and convictions, where appropriate. It is important to bring together our work in the UK with efforts to tackle these issues internationally, and so the 2016 Strategy, and this refresh, represents a 'One Government' approach. This Strategy Refresh also sits alongside other, closely linked pieces of work from across government such as the Victims' Strategy. We are clear that all victims of crime should be supported, but that particular hidden crimes merit their own, focused, response. We will also continue to ensure that our response to vulnerable people, and programmes of work to tackle modern slavery and child sexual abuse and exploitation, remain joined up and mutually supportive of this agenda. This refresh does not provide full details of all that has been achieved since 2016, and nor does it set out our full strategic vision for VAWG, which remains with the 2016 Ending VAWG Strategy. This document does not overtake the 2016 Strategy, and both should be considered together. Instead, this refresh provides a brief update on delivery achieved so far, captures additional programmes of work that have contributed to this agenda, and sets out new, additional actions that government will take forward that goes beyond those set out in the 2016 Strategy While we know that these crimes disproportionately affect women and girls, we also recognise that men and boys are victims too. The vision set out in this Strategy applies to male as well as female victims, but we have published a Male Victims Position Statement alongside this document, which clarifies and strengthens our response to male victims of these crimes, while still recognising the disproportionate impact on women. Details: London: Author, 2019. 44p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed May 2, 2019 at: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/783596/VAWG_Strategy_Refresh_Web_Accessible.pdf Year: 2019 Country: United Kingdom URL: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/783596/VAWG_Strategy_Refresh_Web_Accessible.pdf Shelf Number: 155606 Keywords: Domestic Violence Family Violence Female Genital MutilationForced Marriage Gender-Based Violence Honor Based ViolenceModern Slavery Rape Sexual Violence StalkingViolence against Women and Girls |