Stalking and culture; Old behavior, new crime

Abstract

Stalking, when a person is pursued by acts or omissions over a period of time, in a way that causes extreme discomfort, or in a way that, taken as a whole, can be described as harassment or harassment. Although it does not involve direct violent behavior, behaviors such as disturbing frequent phone calls, text messages, waiting and keeping watch around the workplace, university or home are among the persistent stalking behaviors. Persistent stalking can lead to an increase in the victim's feelings of fear and anxiety. Individuals exposed to this situation may experience psychological and/or physical health problems. According to researches, persistent stalking is a sexist act. The victims are mostly women. Stalking actions are generally carried out by men whom women know and have emotional relationships with. The difference between being a perpetrator or a victim in stalking actions depending on gender change also causes the formation of stalking myths in countries. In this study, stalking, which is a very current concept in the field of forensic sciences, was examined in terms of some sociological variables. Stalking and gender, the effects of honor culture and the meaning attributed to stalking in terms of gender were examined.