This article contains references to domestic violence.
One in five women and one in 15 men in Australia — an estimated 2.7 million adults — have experienced stalking since the age of 15, according to figures released on Wednesday.
The new results from the Australian Bureau of Statistics’ (ABS) 2021-22 Personal Safety Survey also showed women more likely to experience stalking included young women, those who were studying or renting, and those under financial stress.
More than three-quarters (78 per cent) of women who had experienced stalking in the past 10 years were stalked by a male they knew, and in 45 per cent of cases the stalker was an intimate partner.
The survey found half of the women stalked by a male intimate partner were assaulted or threatened with assault by that same partner.
ABS head of crime and justice statistics William Milne said: “Women were almost eight times more likely to be stalked by a male than by a female, while men were stalked by a male and by a female at a similar rate.”
What is classified as stalking?
According to the ABS survey, stalking involves different unwelcomed behaviours, with the one being targeted believing the action is being undertaken to cause fear or distress.
Unwelcomed behaviours can include maintaining unwanted contact by phone, postal mail, email, text messages or social media websites; loitering and following; leaving offensive and disturbing objects; interference with or damaging any property; inappropriate online posting or impersonation;
An action is classified as stalking if it occurs more than once and if several stalking behaviours occur.
Who are the most at risk of being stalked?
Women are more at risk of being stalked than men in Australia, with the ABS survey revealing that two million women and 653,400 men have experienced stalking since age 15.
Just under 20 per cent of women have experienced stalking since the age of 15. Source: SBS News
The majority of women stalked were young females studying (8.7 per cent of those surveyed), renting (6.2 per cent) and living in cities (3.8 per cent).
The rate of stalking was higher for women in households experiencing financial stress. For those who experienced cash flow problems in the last 12 months the stalking rate was 7.9 per cent, compared with a rate of 2.8 per cent for those not having cash flow problems.
For those unable to raise $2,000 within a week for something important the rate was 6.3 per cent, compared with a rate of 3.1 per cent for households that could raise the money.
Who are the main perpetrators?
Over 78 per cent of women in the survey were stalked by a male they knew — most commonly, a former or current intimate partner (45 per cent of perpetrators). Of the intimate partners, 27 per cent were cohabiting partners, while 17 per cent were boyfriends or dates.
Of the stalking behaviours tackled by the survey, the most common type experienced by women is unwanted contact by phone, postal mail, email, text messages or social media.
The survey found the majority of stalking victims are women, with 78 per cent of perpetrators being males who are known to them. Source: SBS News
“Half of the women who were stalked by a male intimate partner were assaulted or threatened with assault by that same partner,” Milne said.
“Half of the women who were stalked by their male intimate partner were stalked for more than a year. This included 115,900 women who said that the stalking continued for over three years.”
The majority of women who were stalked by a male intimate partner (83 per cent) had at least one area of their life impacted by the ordeal, including being unable to build or maintain relationships, work or school life; and having eating or sleep difficulties.
Despite the impact stalking has had on victims, only 25 per cent of women stalked by male perpetrators contacted police. Forty per cent of these women felt like they could deal with it themselves; 37 per cent didn’t regard the stalking as a serious offence; and 27 per cent didn’t think police could do anything about it.
Of the 242,600 women who contacted police, only 19 per cent said that the perpetrator was charged.
If you or someone you know is impacted by family and domestic violence, call 1800RESPECT on 1800 737 732, text 0458 737 732, or visit . In an emergency, call 000.
, operated by No to Violence, can be contacted on 1300 766 491.
