Stalking Following the Breakup of Dating Relationships in Adolescence

Abstract

This cross-sectional exploratory study investigated the incidence of stalking subsequent to the breakup of a dating or romantic relationship during adolescence. A total of 117 adolescents (62.4% female), with a mean age of 16.87 years (SD = 1.26), were identifi ed as victims of stalking perpetrated by an ex-intimate partner and were compared to a group of non-victims (n = 410) matched by age and sex. “Courtship and Approach” was the most prevalent type of stalking. Adolescents stalking victims exhibited signifi cantly higher mean scores for depression, anxiety and stress symptoms than did non-victims; and female victims presented greater symptomatology than did male victims. Multiple regression analysis indicated that suff ering physical and verbal/emotional abuse during a dating relationship explains 19.0% of the variance of becoming a stalking victim subsequent to the breakup of the relationship. These fi ndings emphasize the need for a better understanding of the stalking phenomenon and for public policies aimed at intervention and prevention, given that both victims and perpetrators require psychological assistance in order to break the dating violence cycle.