Citation

Ménard KS, Pincus AL. J. Interpers. Violence 2012; 27(11): 2183-2207.

Affiliation

Penn State - Altoona, Altoona, PA USA.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2012, SAGE Publishing)

DOI

10.1177/0886260511432144

PMID

22203630

Abstract

In this study, self-report student surveys on early childhood maltreatment, attachment styles, alcohol expectancies, and narcissistic personality traits are examined to determine their influence on stalking behavior. Two subtypes of stalking were measured using Spitzberg and Cupach's (2008) Obsessive Relational Intrusion: cyber stalking (one scale) and overt stalking (comprised of all remaining scales). As t tests indicated that men and women differed significantly on several variables, OLS regression models were run separately for men (N = 807) and women (N = 934). Results indicated that childhood sexual maltreatment predicted both forms of stalking for men and women. For men, narcissistic vulnerability and its interaction with sexual abuse predicted stalking behavior (overt stalking R(2) = 16% and cyber stalking R(2) = 11%). For women, insecure attachment (for both types of stalking) and alcohol expectancies (for cyber stalking) predicted stalking behavior (overt stalking R(2) = 4% and cyber stalking R(2) = 9%). We discuss the methodological and policy implications of these findings.

Language: en