Stalking on College Campuses -
The National College Women Sexual Victimization Study
(NCWSV)
The National Institute of Justice and the
Bureau of Justice Statistics co-sponsored a nationally representative
phone survey of 4,446 female students at 223 colleges and universities.
The colleges and universities varied in enrollment size and location
(rural, urban, suburban). A two-stage survey methodology was used.
First, respondents were asked a series of "screen questions"
based on types of sexual victimization that could have occurred
during the previous seven months. If the respondent replied "yes"
to any of the questions, they were asked to complete an incident
report. The survey was conducted from February to May 1997.
The screen question used to measure stalking was "[s]ince
school began in fall 1996, has anyone--from stranger to an ex-boyfriend--repeatedly
followed you, watched you, phoned, written, e-mailed, or communicated
with you in other ways that seemed obsessive and made you afraid
or concerned for your safety?"
Prevalence
13% of the
college women had been stalked since the school year began.
If the definition
of stalking required that the person were actually threatened with
harm--as set forth in many state criminal stalking statutes--the
extent of stalking dropped to only 1.96%.
Victim-Stalker
Relationship
80.3% of victims
knew or had seen their stalker before.
Duration
of Stalking
Stalking incidents
lasted on average for 2 months (60 days).
Harm to
Victims
3 in 10 women
reported being injured emotionally or psychologically from being
stalked.
In 15.3% of
incidents, the victim reported that the stalker either threatened
or attempted to harm them.
In 10.3% of
incidents, the victim reported that the stalker forced or attempted
sexual contact.
Reporting
Stalking Incidents
Overall, 83.1%
of stalking incidents were NOT reported to police or campus law
enforcement.
93.4% of victims
confided in someone, most often a friend, that they were being stalked.
Communities
of color
The survey
found that American Indian/Alaska Native women more likely to be
stalked than female victims of other racial or ethnic backgrounds.
The survey also showed Asian/Pacific Islander women were significantly
less likely to be stalked.
Actions
taken by victim
43.2% avoided
or tried to avoid stalker
21.8% actions
taken but not specified
16.3% confronted
stalker
8.8% did not
acknowledge messages/e-mail
5.6% became
less trustful/more cynical
4.9% got caller
ID
4.1% improved
security system of residence
3.9% traveled
with a companion
3.9% sought
restraining order
3.3% filed
a grievance with university
2.9% sought
psychological counseling
For a free summary of this report, please visit
www.ncjrs.org/pdffiles1/nij/182369.pdf
or
www.ncjrs.org/txtfiles1/nij/182369.txt or call the
National Criminal Justice Reference Service at 1-800-851-3420 and ask for
publication NCJ 182369.
A complete
copy of the findings may be ordered from the NCJRS Paper Reproduction
Sales by calling 1-800-851-3420. This publication, titled "The
Extent and Nature of the Sexual Victimization of College Women:
A National-Level Analysis," is available for a fee. The document
number is NCJ 179977.