Hadi Abdul, Snoubar Yaser
Department of Sociology, Faculty of Arts and Sciences, Harran University, Şanlıurfa, Türkiye.
Social Sciences Department (Social Work Program), College of Arts and Sciences, Qatar University, Doha, Qatar.
Front Psychol. 2025 Jun 13;16:1553021. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2025.1553021. eCollection 2025.
Stalking is a serious and often overlooked form of gender-based violence that disproportionately affects adolescent girls. In Pakistan, especially in Sindh, the issue remains under-researched, despite legal reforms aimed at criminalizing such behaviors.
This study employed Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) to explore the lived experiences of 20 adolescent female stalking victims aged 15-17 at a co-educational college in Sindh. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews.
Two major themes emerged: (1) the victim-stalker relationship and stalkers' motivations, and (2) the psychological, social, academic, and financial impacts of stalking. Most stalkers were strangers who sought unwanted intimacy. The victims experienced fear, social isolation, stigma, academic disruption, and in some cases, long-term psychological trauma including hallucinations and clinical depression. Cultural norms and institutional apathy further silenced victims and exacerbated their vulnerability.
Findings highlight the urgent need for gender-sensitive training for formal institutions, public awareness campaigns, and victim-centered interventions. Policymakers must recognize stalking as both a criminal and public health concern, particularly in patriarchal settings where girls' autonomy is routinely compromised.
跟踪骚扰是一种严重且常被忽视的性别暴力形式，对少女的影响尤为严重。在巴基斯坦，特别是信德省，尽管有旨在将此类行为定为犯罪的法律改革，但该问题仍未得到充分研究。
本研究采用解释现象学分析（IPA）方法，探索信德省一所男女同校学院中20名年龄在15至17岁的青春期女性跟踪骚扰受害者的生活经历。通过半结构化访谈收集数据。
出现了两个主要主题：（1）受害者与跟踪骚扰者的关系及跟踪骚扰者的动机，以及（2）跟踪骚扰对心理、社会、学业和经济的影响。大多数跟踪骚扰者是寻求非自愿亲密关系的陌生人。受害者经历了恐惧、社会孤立、耻辱、学业中断，在某些情况下，还遭受了长期的心理创伤，包括幻觉和临床抑郁症。文化规范和机构的冷漠进一步使受害者沉默，并加剧了她们的脆弱性。
研究结果凸显了对正规机构进行性别敏感培训、开展公众意识宣传活动以及以受害者为中心的干预措施的迫切需求。政策制定者必须认识到跟踪骚扰既是一个刑事问题，也是一个公共卫生问题，尤其是在女童自主权经常受到损害的父权制环境中。
