Stalking More Commonplace, Less Reported at Colleges

iStock/Thinkstock(HUNTSVILLE, Texas) — As much as stalking is a serious crime, it fortunately hasn’t reached epidemic proportions yet.

However, it has become more of a problem on college campuses than with the general public, as evidenced by a study from Sam Houston State University student researchers Patrick Q. Brady and Leana A. Bouffard.

Stalking, which involves repeated conduct that causes a reasonable person to become fearful, was experienced by 4.3 percent of college students over the past 12 months. In comparison, 2.2 percent of the general public said they had been stalked.

Another difference is reporting the crime. Although 32 percent of the general public claimed to have filed a police report, just one in four victims of alleged stalking at colleges did the same.

Previous studies have shown that the highest rate of offenses involve current or former intimate partners usually between 18 and 24 years old.

Researcher Brady says the results of their study indicate “that more is needed to build the capacity of universities and public safety officials to systematically address the barriers that inhibit victims from reporting.”

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