NCJ Number
189129
Journal
Journal of Threat Assessment Volume: 1 Issue: 1 Dated: 2001 Pages: 3-16
Editor(s)
Joseph T. McCann
Date Published
2001
Length
14 pages
Annotation
This study attempted to predict violence among a group of obsessional followers, persons who engaged in an abnormal or long-term pattern of threat or harassment directed toward a specific individual.
Abstract
A growing body of research indicated that violence, particularly toward the object of pursuit, is a frequent act among stalkers. With the relatively high frequencies of violence, when compared to other violent groups, the ability to predict violence within this particular area became more attainable. Obsessional followers charged with the crime of stalking and related offenses were studied to determine risk factors for violence. This study hypothesized that six variables, prior sexual intimacy with the victim, a major mental disorder, a chemical abuse/dependency diagnosis, explicit threat toward the victim, a personality disorder, and prior criminal history would predict violence among the sample of obsessional followers. The sample consisted of archival data on 59 adult obsessional followers (52 males and 7 females). Results indicated that the presence of a prior sexually intimate relationship between the perpetrator and the victim was an important predictor of violence in stalking and may be the most crucial factor in assessing violence risk among stalkers. Additional findings included: (1) the absence of a major mental disorder increased risk; (2) explicit threats are significantly related to violence but should not be used as a major predictive factor in violence risk among stalkers; (3) no significance was found for chemical abuse/dependency and prior criminal history; and (4) psychopathy/personality disorder was not seen as a useful predictor of violence. References