§ Mrs. SpelmanTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what figures he has collated on the extent of stalking of women; and how many women aged 16 to 24 years old have been stalked in the last three years. [78820]
§ Mr. DenhamThe 1998 British Crime Survey included an innovative computerised self-completion questionnaire designed to provide the first reliable measure of the extent of 'stalking' in England and Wales. A nationality representative sample of 9,988 16 to 59 year olds were asked whether they had been subject to 'persistent and unwanted attention' during their lifetime and during the preceding year. Persistent and unwanted attention was described to respondents at the beginning of the questionnaire in the following way
People may sometimes be pestered or harassed either by someone they know or a stranger. This person might do things like phoning or writing, following them or waiting outside their home or workplace".Those who had been subject to such incidents were asked details about their experience. The questionnaire was deliberately designed to capture a wide range of experiences that could potentially be regarded as incidents of 'stalking'. However it should be stressed that these incidents were not necessarily regarded as crimes by the respondents and do not equate to offences under the Protection for Harassment Act 1997.
These results are published in Home Office Research Study 210, which is deposited in the Library. This report indicates that four per cent of women had experienced persistent and unwanted attention in the last year, compared to two per cent of men. 17 per cent of women aged 16 to 19 and eight per cent of those aged 20 to 24 had experienced such in this period. It is possible that those patterns are, at least in part, accounted for by differences in how men and women, particularly young women, interpret both the term persistent and unwanted attention and their own experiences.
Last year prevalence, by age and sex
851W
Percent victims Age Women Men All 16–19 17 3 10 20—24 8 5 7
Percent victims Age Women Men All All 4 2 3 Note:
Definition of stalking: persistent and unwanted attention (excluding incidents in which the victim and perpetrator were living with each other throughout the period over which the incidents occurred).
Source:
1998 BCS