Department of Psychology, Goldsmiths, University of London, London, UK.
Institute for Lifecourse Development, School of Human Sciences, University of Greenwich, London, UK.
Behav Sci Law. 2022 Sep;40(5):584-603. doi: 10.1002/bsl.2592. Epub 2022 Sep 5.
The present study examines the influence of prior relationship (intimate, non-intimate), perpetrator-target sex (male-female, female-male) and perpetrator motivation (romance, upset) on (1) the point at which behavior crosses the line and becomes stalking, and (2) the likelihood of offering five forms of advice to the target (formal support, informal support, protective measures, avoidance measures, threatening action). The study used a 2 × 2 × 2 between-participants experimental design. Four-hundred and sixty-one UK students read one of eight versions of a hypothetical scenario that they were informed may or may not depict a stalking situation. Analyses revealed that 97.8% (n = 451) of participants believed the perpetrator's behavior constituted stalking, and that behavior was perceived to cross the line earlier in the scenario when the perpetrator's motivation was to upset the target in the context of a non-intimate prior relationship only. Prior relationship, perpetrator-target sex and perpetrator motivation also influenced the likelihood of offering various forms of advice to the target. These findings further demonstrate the impact of situational characteristics on perceptions of stalking and highlight the importance of educational campaigns and programs to increase people's understanding of stalking.
本研究考察了先前关系（亲密、非亲密）、施害者-目标性别（男女、女男）和施害者动机（浪漫、心烦）对以下两个方面的影响：（1）行为越过界限并成为跟踪的时间点，以及（2）向目标提供五种形式的建议的可能性（正式支持、非正式支持、保护措施、回避措施、威胁行为）。该研究采用了 2×2×2 的被试间实验设计。461 名英国学生阅读了八个假设情景中的一个，他们被告知该情景可能或不可能描述一种跟踪情况。分析显示，97.8%（n=451）的参与者认为施害者的行为构成了跟踪，并且只有当施害者的动机是在非亲密的先前关系背景下使目标心烦意乱时，施害者的行为才会更早地越过界限。先前关系、施害者-目标性别和施害者动机也会影响向目标提供各种形式建议的可能性。这些发现进一步证明了情境特征对跟踪感知的影响，并强调了开展教育宣传和项目以提高人们对跟踪的认识的重要性。
