Stalking victims are typically stalked by someone they know, most commonly current or former intimate partners (Baum et al., 2009; Catalano, 2012; Fisher, Cullen & Turner, 2000; Smith et al., 2017). Smith et al. (2017) found:
- Among female victims in the U.S., perpetrators were a current or former intimate partner (61.5%), acquaintance (26.1%), stranger (14.7%), family member (7.2%), and person of authority (2.0%). 84.8% reported being stalked by only male perpetrators, 7.3% by only female perpetrators, and 5.2% by both male and female perpetrators.
- Among male victims of stalking in the U.S., perpetrators were a current or former intimate partner (42.8%), acquaintance (37.2%), stranger (16.6%), family member (11.0%) and person of authority (2.9%).
- In West Virginia, 69.7% of female victims had perpetrators who were current or former intimate partners and 29% were acquaintances. Female victims had stalkers who were males 85.1% of the time. (Comparable statistically reliable data was not available for male victims.)
Current or former partners know about the likes, dislikes, habits, interests, and other details of their victims’ lives that can assist them in stalking. Partner stalkers also may have or could easily gain access to passwords, account numbers, and other sensitive information that they could use against their victims.