Measuring stalking: the development and evaluation of the Stalking Assessment Indices (SAI)

Abstract

Accurate measurement of stalking has proven difficult, partly because stalking is characterised by the cumulative effects of a pattern of behaviour. This study aimed to develop and evaluate a new measure of stalking that overcomes the observed shortcomings of existing tools. The Stalking Assessment Indices (SAI) were created using index development principles and evaluated in 244 Australian undergraduate students (M age= 33.7, 77% female). Seventy-three reported stalking victimisation (experiencing at least five intrusions over at least two weeks causing substantial fear or distress), and 51 reported stalking perpetration. Stalking behaviours reported by victims formed a two-component structure, which was also observed in multidimensional scaling analysis. The perpetration index showed good convergent validity with measures of rumination and aggression, and both indices had adequate test–retest reliability over four weeks. These results suggest that the SAI could provide a consistent and inclusive measure of stalking for use across different research settings.<br/ ><br/ >Keywords: harassment, index development, intimate partner abuse, measurement, obsessive relational intrusion, stalking, unwanted pursuit behaviour