While stalking has become a more recongized crime there are still skewed perceptions about it, partially this is because of the way media portrays stalking as it does not always line up with how stalking incidents truly are in the real world. In a analysis of films that have stalking or stalking elements in them it was found that several aspects are underrepresnted in films than in real life, one of them being sexual assualt/rape and another the amount of victims who seek legal intervention. Of the 51 films analyzed only “5.9% portrayed sexual violence that was not rape and 3.9% portrayed rape of the victim” (Schultz et all., 2014) when in reality sexual violence occurs in about 12% of stalking cases that are reported (Schultz et all., 2014). Interestingly enough violence of a non-sexual nature was found to be overrepresented in such …show more content…
Victims who sought legal advice were also signifcantly lower in films than in real life as only 7.8% of the film victims got a protective order against their stalker in comparsion with 15-30% of victims in reality (Schultz et all., 2014), however an alarming number of films promoted violence against the stalker as perpatrated by the victim with 76.5% of films showing counterattacks whether in self-defense or in preparing for a physical attack along with 41.2% of movies showing the victim verbally threatening the stalker (Shultz et all., 2014). In reality attacking or threatening the stalker may put the victim in greater danger as it could potentially escalate the stalking behavior, leaving the victim in greater risk of bodily harm or death or putting someone the victim knows in greater risk of
Three rapes were reported in the 1983 in the state of Massachusetts. The first rape was reported on August 17, 1983 a women by the name of Marilyn Goss. She was raped by an intruder while she spent the night at the Casa Manor Motel in Ayer, Massachusetts (Stearns, 2006). On November 16, 1983 a woman was attacked while she was walking home in the city Lowell, MA. A man she did not know approached her, tried to converse with her, and then forced her into a nearby yard, where the man sexually assaulted her (Know the Cases: Dennis Maher). On November 17, 1983, about twenty four hours after the other attack in Lowell, MA, a different woman was harshly shoved to the ground by a man who produced a knife. The woman was luckily enough to escape the man after a struggle...
Most people assume that most stalking victims are women, but law officials have found that the number of male and female victims are roughly equal (Brownstein). It has been proven that, “The nature of the relationship between targets and stalkers seems to be different for women and men.” Statistically, females usually know their stalker, while male victims usually have no personal relationship with their stalker (Accomando and Anderson). Most of the time, men will not report that they are being stalked unless they feel it is life threatening because some do not see women as a threat (Wigman). Victims are not powerless, but they are in a rough and dangerous position
Stalker or stalking has been further classified based on typology established by Paul Mullen, Teresa Flower and Rosemary Purcell. It is based on the context in which stalking arose and stalkers initial impetus for containing the victim. There are five types of a stalker: the rejected, resentful, intimacy-seeking, incompetent and the predator . The two precarious of all are rejected and predator stalkers.
As it is in the case of the majority of violent crimes, (Davies and Rogers, 2006) perpetrators of violent crimes, and especially sexual assault related crimes exert additional force by threatening the victim or their families. Male victims also must contend with an additional sense of shame and embarrassment in being identified with a crime that has been typically portrayed in the media as happening to women. This places men at a disadvantage in the reporting process, because their safety and the safety of others is compromised further if the crime is not reported. (Messerschmitt, 2009)
In the case of stalking, which is relatively new in the research arena and thus has a limited evidence base to inform practice, SPJ appears to be the most appropriate as only a detailed and flexible risk assessment process that takes into account the different forms of potential damage can provide a basis for management that reduces the potential harm to the victim and the stalker both (Mullen et al, 2006). Further research into stalking risk factors and comprehensive assessment tools will aid the development of more accurate and detailed procedures specific to the assessment of risk in stalking.
“Stalking” is a term used to describe harassment or contact that is unwanted and repeated. 1 in 6 women and 1 in 19 men have been stalked in their lives (Stalking statistics, 2014). This is a very serious crime that is often overlooked due to embarrassment or underestimating the severity of it. However, stalking can become violent very quickly. Some only threaten their victims and never go any further (stalking,2014), but other cases can become quite severe.
Sexual assault is defined as a type of behaviour that occurs without explicit consent from the recipient and under sexual assault come various categories such as sexual activities as forces sexual intercourse, incest, fondling, attempted rape and more (Justice.gov. 2017). People often become victims of sexual assault by someone they know and trust (Mason & Lodrick, 2013) which is conflicting to the public’s perception and beliefs that offenders are strangers. Women are the main victims for sexual assault and are 5 times more likely to have been a victim of sexual assault from a male (Wright, 2017, p. 93). Men are victims of sexual assault however only 0.7% of men, compared to 3.2% of women, experience some form of sexual assault which highlights how vulnerable women are compared to men. Sexual assault is publicised and exposed in the media, however is often
Logan, T., & Walker, R. (2010). Toward a deeper understanding of the harms caused by partner stalking. Violence and Victims, 25(4), 440-453. doi: 10.1891/0886-6708.25.4.440
One of the most common misconceptions about rape is that is it committed by strangers most of the time. However, this is not the case. Date rape is an epidemic affecting tens of thousands of people across the world at staggering rates. The rape stereotype in our culture today is a jumping out of the shadows type of rape. Most people think that when someone is raped either their house is broken into and they are attacked, they are kidnapped, or something along those lines. Actually, 84% of women know their attacker (Hammond). This can become problematic for our society because victims are looking out for an attack that most likely will not take place, while ignoring assaults that are far more likely.
Intimate partner stalkers are typically known as the guy who "just can’t let go." These are most often men who refuse to believe that a relationship has really ended. Often, other people - even the victims - feel sorry for them. But they shouldn’t. Studies show that the vast majority of these stalkers are not sympathetic, lonely people who are still hopelessly in love, but were in fact emotionally abusive and controlling during the relationship. Many have criminal histories unrelated to stalking. Well over half of stalkers fall into this "former intimate partner" category.
Traditional or common knowledge views of rape portray the act as something a crazy stranger commits on another stranger. However, this is simply not the case. The vast majority of rapes, sometimes up to 70%, involve a victim who was previously known to the offender (Woods and Porter 2008). The data does not totally support this view, however. This is because only an estimated 18% of acquaintance rape is reported to the police (Woods and Porter 2008). For comparative purposes, an estimated 79% of stranger rape is reported. Research suggests that each type of forcible rape has a more frequent setting (Woods and Porter 2008). When a rape happens indoors, the victim is more likely to have had a close personal relationship with the offender (Woods and Porter 2008). In fact, the rape usually occurs in either the offender’s or victim’s home (Woods and Porter 2008). The National Institute of Justice reports that women are raped dramatically more than men are; 18% of women report being raped at least once in their life, in contrast to just the 3% of men who report being raped in their lifetime (Tjaden and Thoennes 2006). Of minority groups, 34% of American-Indian women report being raped in their lifetime, the highest percentage of any group; the lowest percentage is Pacific Islander women, of whom only 7% report being raped in their lifetime (Tjaden and Thoennes 2006). The data suggests that rape occurs at an early age. Nearly a quarter of female rape victims and nearly one half of male rape victims were younger than 12 years old when first raped (Tjaden and Thoennes 2006). The percent of victims first raped when younger than 18 years of age is nearly three quarters for men and over half for women (Tjaden and Thoennes 2006). “Women who w...
Across the world societies are constantly trying to protect their people and improve quality of life. Every culture has societal norms and laws in place in order to uphold the social order. One social issue that affects every culture in the world is sexual violence. Sexual violence is a global problem affecting every city, state, and country in the world. This is a problem that needs to be explored in order to stop this vicious crime. While most people are aware that sexual violence exists there is still a lot to learn about this crime. Western society paints a picture of sexual predators being predominantly strange older males. The truth is sexual violence can be committed by anyone and
We are all affected by crime, whether we are a direct victim, a family member or a friend of a victim. It can interfere with your daily life, your personal sense of safety and your ability to trust others.
Stalking involves threatening behaviors and harassment. It is not the type of actions that should be taken lightly because it can lead to much more violent behaviors. This is why stalking is a very important topic to address when discussing intimate violence. All too often stalking will lead to further violence by not only strangers but acquaintances and former partners. It can also become a toxic situation where harm or death results (Meadows, 2010). Stalking cases can vary in several ways. For instance, the way the stalking takes place and/or the motives behind the stalking. Stalking can begin to happen before the victim even realizes it and that is why it is important to gain knowledge on how to deal with the situation.
Bullying is a serious problem in our society today. There are many examples in the world, either in direct contact or through social network to harass peers. Bullying can leave many different effects on child’s development, and adulthood as well. Bullying not only affect physical health, it also can affect mental health. The effects bullying can have on its victims is something that may last throughout their lives, or something that may end their life. Violence can be psychological, economic, physical, and sexual. Bullying can affect your brain and body. There is also workplace bullying, which became international problem. Children hood bullying can leave lifelong scars.