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Violence among female stalkers
1Mid-Sweden University and Sundsvall Forensic Psychiatric Hospital, Sundsvall, Sweden.
Psychological Medicine
|August 13, 2011
Summary
Risk factors for stalking violence are similar for men and women, including prior intimate relationships and threats. However, female stalkers show higher rates of personality and psychotic disorders, suggesting tailored psychiatric assessments.
Area of Science:
- Forensic Psychology
- Criminology
- Clinical Psychiatry
Background:
- Female stalkers constitute 10-25% of stalking cases, with limited understanding of their specific violence risk factors.
- This research aims to identify risk factors for female stalking violence and compare them to those for male stalkers.
Purpose of the Study:
- To identify and contrast risk factors for stalking violence in female and male offenders.
- To develop a predictive model for stalking violence based on offender characteristics.
Main Methods:
- Comparative analysis of 71 female and 479 male stalkers from Sweden and Australia.
- Logistic regression modeling to predict stalking violence using demographic, offense, and clinical data.
- Univariate comparisons of behaviors between genders and between violent/non-violent female stalkers.
Main Results:
- Violence rates were similar between genders (23% female, 31% male).
- Key predictors for violence in both genders included prior intimate relationship, threats, and approach behavior.
- Female stalkers exhibited significantly higher rates of personality disorders; both genders had high rates of psychotic disorders.
Conclusions:
- General risk factors for stalking violence are consistent across genders, supporting a unified risk assessment approach.
- Elevated prevalence of personality and psychotic disorders in female stalkers warrants routine psychiatric evaluation for women charged with stalking.
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