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Stalking and the impact of labelling “There’s a difference between my offence and a stalker”

Rachael Wheatley (University of Derby, Derby, UK)
Alan Underwood (Stalking Threat Assessment Centre at Barnet, Enfield and Haringey Mental Health Trust, London, UK)

Journal of Criminal Psychology

ISSN: 2009-3829

Article publication date: 20 February 2023

Issue publication date: 12 April 2023

263

Abstract

Purpose

This paper aims to consider stalking as an offending behaviour and the prevailing narratives associated with this offending behaviour given the increased attention of society and criminal justice. The stereotypes and labels associated with the offending behaviour often sensationalise aspects of those who engage in stalking. Frequently, individuals are portrayed as disturbed, psychopathic, mentally ill, violent and culturally deviant. Sometimes stalking behaviour is perversely downplayed as romantic perseverance. The impact of the stalker label extends outward from the act of marking legal and societal transgression, which impacts upon prospects for rehabilitation and desistance through the shaping of assumptions and maintenance of disempowering connotations.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper considers the impact of the stalking label as a therapeutic-, and perhaps rehabilitation-interfering problem for those who have stalked, drawing on recent research by Wheatley, Winder and Kuss (2020a).

Findings

It discusses the wide-ranging implications of labelling in this context and considers therapeutic approaches for intervention that may encourage rehabilitation engagement, mitigate shame and support desistance from a strengths-based perspective.

Originality/value

This paper draws on recent research exploring stalking case narratives of their own experiences of what drives stalking behaviour, existing labelling literature, and on specialist practitioners’ experiences of working with this group, to influence future thinking and research to address nuances highlighted.

Keywords

Citation

Wheatley, R. and Underwood, A. (2023), "Stalking and the impact of labelling “There’s a difference between my offence and a stalker”", Journal of Criminal Psychology, Vol. 13 No. 2, pp. 91-104. https://doi.org/10.1108/JCP-07-2021-0026

Publisher

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Emerald Publishing Limited

Copyright © 2023, Emerald Publishing Limited

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