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Coping with stalking among university students.
Katja Björklund1, Helinä Häkkänen-Nyholm, Lorraine Sheridan
1University of Helsinki, Institute of Behavioural Sciences, Finland. katja.bjorklund@helsinki.fi
Violence and Victims
|June 23, 2010
Summary
University students experiencing stalking often avoid their stalker or seek support from friends and family. Violent stalking incidents led to more threats of legal action, but formal help-seeking remained similar across stalking types.
Area of Science:
- Psychology
- Criminology
- Sociology
Background:
- Stalking is a serious issue affecting university students.
- Understanding victim coping mechanisms is crucial for support.
- Contextual factors may influence coping strategies.
Purpose of the Study:
- To examine behavioral coping actions and strategies in relation to contextual factors of stalking among Finnish university students.
- To investigate differences in coping based on stalking violence and victim-stalker relationship.
Main Methods:
- A survey was administered to Finnish university students who had experienced stalking.
- The survey included items on coping behaviors and strategies.
- Data were analyzed to identify relationships between contextual factors and coping.
Main Results:
- Victims of violent stalking were more likely to threaten legal action than victims of nonviolent stalking.
- No significant difference was found in the actual use of formal help.
- Escape-avoidance and problem-solving strategies were influenced by stalking violence and the number of stalking episodes.
- Positive reappraisal coping was also affected by these contextual factors.
Conclusions:
- Victims primarily utilized avoidance or informal social support (friends, family) rather than formal help.
- Contextual factors like stalking violence and frequency significantly impact coping strategy selection.
- Healthcare and law enforcement professionals need to understand victim coping to provide effective support and develop multidisciplinary approaches.
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