Challenges with and Recommendations for Intimate Partner Stalking Policy and Practice: a Practitioner Perspective

Abstract

Informed by the perspectives of two practitioners with over ten years of experience addressing stalking issues and a researcher from the field of violence against women, this paper will highlight the trajectory of the United States’ response to intimate partner stalking by first discussing advancements that have been made in stalking laws. This will be followed by the practical challenges that law enforcement and service providers continue to face when encountering this crime, despite this progress. There are four major challenges to addressing intimate partner stalking: a) stalking remains a very misunderstood crime; b) building stalking cases proves challenging; c) service providers may lack the knowledge and/or resources needed to respond to stalking victims effectively; and d) research on stalking is limited. The manuscript concludes with practical recommendations for addressing some of these challenges.