“Should we call campus security?” : a qualitative analysis of staff response to stalking on campus : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science in Psychology at Massey University, Auckland, New Zealand
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Date
2024
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Massey University
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Abstract
Generally, people acknowledge stalking as something that happens to others when news highlights it. However, every year thousands of victims are stalked globally. An old behaviour and new crime (Meloy, 1999), stalking has been an ancient parasitic disease typically preying on women for its survival in society. Women in the ages of 18-25 are at the highest risk of being stalked either by an unknown or a well-known perpetrator. There are very few studies conducted in New Zealand universities pertaining to assessing and managing stalking. The current study has explored how staff identify, assess and report on stalking incidents in a New Zealand university context. Eight university staff participated in semi-structured interviews to gain a better understanding of managing stalking on campus. Any potential barriers to management and reporting were discussed. Analyzing the qualitative data through thematic analysis showed six themes; ‘Identifying Stalking’, ‘Evaluating Safety’, ‘The Reporting Loop’, ‘Who gets Involved’, ‘Where is the Information?’ and ‘Barriers to Support’. Results indicate that participants have a functional understanding of identifying, assessing and responding to stalking incidents. Complications of reporting processes and work culture have an impact on individual response management of incidents. As New Zealand rates high among OECD countries in violence against women, future research in this area is essential.