Exploring the interactional phenomenon of stalking and obsessive relational intrusion

Abstract

Obsessive relational intrusion (ORI), and its more extreme relative, stalking, are significant social problems. However, to date, most research is relatively crude and anecdotal in nature. Further, most of the stalking literature has focused on aspects of the perpetrators rather than characteristics of the victims. This study sought to examine the nature and extent of victimization, employing new measures of ORI and stalking developed by Spitzberg and Cupach (1997). Multiple victimization factors were examined to ascertain the characteristics of obsessive intrusion victims and to analyze the relationship between victimization, symptomology, and coping strategies. The ORI‐VSF (victim short form) was administered to 69 male and 93 female college students. Exploratory factor analysis indicated two factors, suggestive of general pursuit and aggression. Analyses indicate that males and females were not differentially victimized. Further, coping responses were more predictive of symptomology than amount of victimization. Discussion explores issues about the nature of presumed sex differences in victimization and the role of coping responses in mediating the effects of stalking and obsessive relational intrusion.