Introduction: Stalking is a severe problem which can have serious consequences for victims; however, it was not until recently that stalking was criminalized in Sweden. The Swedish law specifically prohibiting stalking was enacted the first of October, 2011. Objective: This study aims to examine and describe the characteristics of stalkers who were convicted under the Swedish stalking law. Method: Information was gathered from all convictions (n = 27) under the law between October 1, 2011 and December 31, 2012. Results: The mean age of the stalkers was 38 years. The majority of the stalkers were male but the proportion of female stalkers was higher than expected (33%), based on previous research. There were few significant differences between male and female stalkers. The differences found were that females entered the victim’s home and damaged the victim’s property more than males. The most common relationship held between the victim and the stalker was ex-intimate partner. Discussion: The findings revealed that only a small percentage of those charged with stalking were ultimately convicted of stalking during the data collection period. However, as the system becomes more aware of and familiar with the law we would expect to see more convictions. The demographic characteristics of the stalkers in the present study were similar to those of stalkers described in the research literature, with the exception of the higher proportion of ex-intimate partner stalkers (78%).
2013-06-10