Sunday, July 23, 2006

In the shadows / Jane's Police Review, 21 Jul 2006

http://digbig.com/4mbph
Nicola Graham-Kevan
"Eexplains how examining domestic violence could help officers accurately predict who is more likely to use violence against their former partners. I became interested in stalking behaviour through my research into domestic violence. What is apparent from the academic literature on this subject and a Home Office review in 2000 entitled An Evaluation of the use and effectiveness of the Protection from Harrassment Act 1997 is that former intimate partners (such as boyfriends, girlfriends, husbands or wives) are the main perpetrators in many stalking cases. Stalking (or harassing) became a crime in 1997 when Britain introduced the Protection from Harassment Act in order to address growing public concern about stalking. There is evidence to suggest that, although former partners are not regarded as being as dangerous as stranger or acquaintance stalkers, they do represent a large proportion of all stalkers who use violence against their victims. Therefore, it is important to research ex-partner stalking, so that behaviours which predict future stalking can be identified. This in turn could help police prioritise cases and anticipate the potential risk of criminal harassment. " [Sub Required]