This collaborative project, working with stalking and abuse charities, partners and victim/survivors, aims to investigate how young people experience stalking and how police and other agencies understand, identify, and respond.
Stalking poses risks of repeat victimisation and behaviour escalation, with severe effects on victims such as anxiety, depression, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). However, the 2022 super-complaint submitted by the Suzy Lamplugh Trust to policing organisations highlighted issues in the police response to stalking, including poor understanding and investigation of stalking, and inadequate victim protection.
Notably, most victims are female, with ages 16-19 most affected. However, data collection is only captured from the age of 16.
Young people are particularly vulnerable to serious stalking offences, including homicide. Despite high prevalence and risks, young people’s experiences are often overlooked and inadequately addressed, with gaps in policy and data for those aged 13-15.
This research aims to explore stalking among young people and how practitioner understandings influence identification and response to stalking, to inform proactive policing and safeguarding. This aligns with the UK Government’s commitment to reduce violence against women and girls (VAWG) and improve police operations.
The project aims to generate new evidence on stalking by intimate partners or people victims are dating among young people aged 13-19. The project team will do this by creating an original database and collecting qualitative data from practitioners and individuals with lived experience.
The objective is to enhance police and agency practices in understanding and responding to stalking experiences among young people.
This exploratory mixed methods project collates and analyses anonymised datasets from third sector support organisations, generates qualitative contextual data (via the use of interviews and focus groups, for example) and emphasises the importance of survivor voice.
This study has been co-designed with stalking and abuse charities and police forces. Multiple research methods and data sources will be collated to investigate how young people experience stalking and how police and other agencies understand, identify, and respond. This includes an evidence review, third sector helpline and administrative data, case study development, interviews with victim/survivors and parents, and focus groups with specialist staff.
The research team expect findings will provide insight on:
- the characteristics and experiences of intimate partner/dating stalking victims and survivors aged 13-19, identifying elements uniquely experienced by young people;
- how policy, guidance, and services can be developed to better respond to their needs;
- improving police and wider agency practices in understanding and responding to stalking experiences among young people.
Working collaboratively with partner stakeholders and victim/survivors, the team will co-create recommendations to inform the response to this complex threat.
Lead investigator
- Dr Kelly Bracewell (University of Central Lancashire)
Researchers
- Tahreem Tahir, doctoral student at the University of Central Lancashire
- Talia Kensit, Founder of Youth Realities, doctoral student at Northumbria University
