- Child stalkers as bad as adults
- By Josephine Tovey
- The Age
- 17/05/2009 Make a Comment
- Contributed by: The Rooster ( 258 articles in 2009 )
STALKING by teenagers and young children may be a more serious phenomenon than it is among adults.
An Australian study has found young stalkers often exhibit more violent or threatening behaviour than adult stalkers.
Teenage girls are also more likely to stalk than adult women. Their victims are usually females.
Published in the British Journal of Psychiatry, "Stalking among Juveniles" analysed applications for restraining orders for people aged 18 and under in the Melbourne Children's Court between 2004 and 2006. The study found stalkers ranged in age from nine to 18.
One of the study's authors, Melbourne University's Rosemary Purcell, said stalking was not the same as schoolyard bullying. "To me, stalking is where it really infects all aspects of the victim's life. They're being pursued at home, in public places, at work or at school," Dr Purcell said.
The study found the use of technology to stalk victims, in the form of repeated telephone calls, emails and text messages, was pervasive.
Violent threats were also common — 75 per cent of victims reported their stalker making a threat against them and 15 per cent said threats had been made against their friends and family.
One of the most common precursors to stalking among teens was a relationship break-up. In one case, a 14-year-old boy began stalking his girlfriend after she refused to have sex with him.
"He began harassing her with phone calls, turning up at her house, harassing the mother as well," Dr Purcell said. "Eventually, the boy raped the girl on the school grounds."
The study urges early intervention so young stalkers did not continue the behaviour as adults.
An Australian study has found young stalkers often exhibit more violent or threatening behaviour than adult stalkers.
Teenage girls are also more likely to stalk than adult women. Their victims are usually females.
Published in the British Journal of Psychiatry, "Stalking among Juveniles" analysed applications for restraining orders for people aged 18 and under in the Melbourne Children's Court between 2004 and 2006. The study found stalkers ranged in age from nine to 18.
One of the study's authors, Melbourne University's Rosemary Purcell, said stalking was not the same as schoolyard bullying. "To me, stalking is where it really infects all aspects of the victim's life. They're being pursued at home, in public places, at work or at school," Dr Purcell said.
The study found the use of technology to stalk victims, in the form of repeated telephone calls, emails and text messages, was pervasive.
Violent threats were also common — 75 per cent of victims reported their stalker making a threat against them and 15 per cent said threats had been made against their friends and family.
One of the most common precursors to stalking among teens was a relationship break-up. In one case, a 14-year-old boy began stalking his girlfriend after she refused to have sex with him.
"He began harassing her with phone calls, turning up at her house, harassing the mother as well," Dr Purcell said. "Eventually, the boy raped the girl on the school grounds."
The study urges early intervention so young stalkers did not continue the behaviour as adults.
Source: https://www.theage.com.au/national/child-stalkers-as-bad-as-adults-20090516-b6sz.html
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