An Examination of the Predictors of Stalking Myth Acceptance and Perpetration

Abstract

Although interpersonal violence, such as stalking, is prevalent among college students, the factors that predict and contribute to a culture of campus violence are still obscure. Parallel to the established link between rape myth acceptance and rape perpetration, research has emphasized the ways in which stalking myth acceptance, societal attitudes, and false beliefs about stalking, normalize and perpetuate its occurrence (Lippman, 2015; McKeon, McEwan, & Leubbers, 2015). To further understand this dynamic, we examined the relationship between demographic variables, stalking myth acceptance (SMA), and stalking perpetration (SP) in a convenience sample of college students. Statistical analyses indicated that gender and sexual orientation were significant predictors of SMA. Moreover, SMA, gender, and sexual orientation significantly predicted SP. A better understanding of the relationship between demographic variables, attitudes, and stalking perpetration illuminates the need for targeted efforts to change social norms that have traditionally normalized and perpetuated campus violence.