Perceptions of Cyberstalking: Impact of Perpetrator Gender and Cyberstalker/Victim Relationship

Cyberstalking is a relatively new phenomenon with limited empirical research. Consequently, despite the seriousness of the crime, prevalence rates are unreliable and estimates suffer from vast variation. Cyberstalking is likely to be underreported due to limited community understanding of what behaviors constitute cyberstalking. There are many factors unique to cyberstalking which may impact the extent to which the crime is reported, and the extent to which the perpetrator or victim is held responsible. The current study aimed to examine the impact of perpetrator gender, and the relationship between the perpetrator and victim (ex-intimate vs. stranger) on perceptions of cyberstalking. Participants read one of four scenarios, designed for this study, which varied in victim gender and cyberstalker-victim relationship. Perpetrator gender impacted perceptions of the scenario, such that the male perpetrator was viewed as more dangerous. Scenarios with a male perpetrator were perceived as more consistent with cyberstalking and the behavior as illegal in nature. Victim gender was found to impact the amount of blame a victim receives, such that the female victim was attributed less blame than the male victim. Meanwhile, the male victim was blamed more for the occurrence of the cyberstalking behavior, and their claims as a victim were taken less seriously and perceived as less legitimate. Finally, participant gender was found to impact perceptions toward the cyberstalking scenarios.