Examining police responses to stalking and their effectiveness using national data

Abstract

Stalking remains a pervasive public safety problem, yet limited research has examined the factors associated with police responses and how these responses are related to victim-reported outcomes. Using nationally representative data from the 2016 and 2019 Stalking Victimization Supplements of the National Crime Victimization Survey, this study examined the correlates of ten police actions and assessed the associations between specific police responses and whether victims reported that stalking had ceased at the time of the survey. Victim demographic characteristics showed limited and inconsistent associations with police actions. In contrast, incident severity, particularly non-sexual physical injury, was strongly associated with formal police responses, including taking a report and arresting the perpetrator. Intimate partner stalking was associated with only one police action, the recommendation of a restraining order. Differences also emerged across stalking modalities. Offline stalking was associated with higher odds of restraining order recommendations, whereas technology facilitated stalking was associated with lower odds of certain formal legal actions, including prosecutor referrals. Analyses of victim reported cessation indicated that cases involving more substantial police engagement, such as taking a report, arrest, or multiple coordinated actions, were more likely to be characterized by reported cessation, while cases in which police took no action were associated with lower odds of stalking having ended. Although the findings reflect associations rather than causal effects, they highlight important variation in policing responses to contemporary stalking and underscore the potential role of early and substantive police engagement as a key dimension of prevention in cases that may involve digital or multi-channel behaviors.