Criminalizing Attractions: Perceptions of Stalking and the Stalker

In the late 1980s and early 1990s, the conceptualization of the predatory stalker came to the forefront of the criminal concerns imagined by the American public. With this growing public concern and the associated media coverage, legislation designed to enhance punishments against those who might stalk became a political asset and a significant plank for reelection campaigns. Adequate definition for the phenomena, however, has yet to be established, and idiosyncratic application of the law at the policing level remains a problem. This study works toward providing a better definition of the problem from the public’s perspective. Variables significant to the definition of the problem were identified and used in survey work to assess their importance in the individual’s interpretation of the stalking label. Several of these variables are significantly tied to the individual’s willingness to ascribe a stalking label to a given behavioral transaction.