Stalking perpetrators and psychological maltreatment of partners: anger-jealousy, attachment insecurity, need for control, and break-up context

Violence Vict. 2000 Winter;15(4):407-25.

Abstract

Two studies of the correlates of self-reported courtship persistence, stalking-like behaviors following a relationship break-up, and psychological maltreatment of partners were conducted in samples of male (N = 46 and 93) and female (N = 123 and 110) college students. Approximately 40% (38.5% and 44.6%) engaged in at least one stalking behavior following a break-up. A total of 10.7% (study 1) and 7.6% (study 2) engaged in 6 or more stalking behaviors. Stalking was significantly related to psychological maltreatment of the partner (PMP) prior to the break-up. Being the recipient of the breakup was associated with feelings of anger, jealousy and obsessiveness and with higher levels of courtship persistence, and stalking. A replicated path model showed that anxious attachment and need for control were related to PMP and that need for control had a direct contribution to stalking. For anxious attachment, its connection to stalking was indirect, mediated by the degree of anger-jealousy over the break-up.

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Analysis of Variance
  • Anger*
  • Courtship*
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Internal-External Control*
  • Jealousy*
  • Love
  • Male
  • Models, Psychological
  • Object Attachment*
  • Obsessive Behavior / psychology*
  • Predictive Value of Tests
  • Risk Factors
  • Sexual Harassment / psychology*
  • Sexual Partners / psychology*
  • Students / psychology*
  • Surveys and Questionnaires
  • Universities*
  • Violence / psychology*