The Effects of Perceived Motivations and Mental Distress on the Likelihood of Reporting and Engaging in Self-Protective Measures Among Victims of Stalking

The current study examines how perceived motivations and mental distress affect decision-making among victims of stalking. Although stalking victimization has become relatively common in recent years, with approximately 1 in 6 women reporting to have been victims of stalking at some point in their lives, victims of stalking are unlikely to report to police compared to victims of other violent crimes (NISVS, 2015). Though studies have explored the dynamics of stalking, little is known about the role of the victim’s perception of the offender’s motivation in the victim\u27s decision to report to the police and engage in self-protective measures. The present study draws from several bodies of literature to thoroughly examine the relationship between the victim’s perception of the offender’s motivation, level of mental distress, and the likelihood of reporting and utilizing self-protective measures. To do so, the current study uses the 2006 National Crime Victimization Survey: Stalking Victimization Supplement (n=1,686). Results from the implemented analyses indicate that the victim’s perception of the offender’s motivation significantly affects both the odds of reporting to police and the expected number of self-protective measures reported by the victim. While the results indicate that the level of mental distress reported by the victim significantly increases the odds of reporting to police, the analyses show mixed support for the effects of mental distress on the expected number of self-protective measures reported by the victim. Overall, the current thesis’ findings indicate that when examining decision-making among victims of stalking, the victim’s perception of the offender’s motivation and mental distress should be taken into consideration