One in five women in Australia aged 15 or older have been stalked, most often by a current or former male intimate partner, new data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) has revealed.
According to the 2021-22 Personal Safety Survey, which collected information from adults about the nature and extent of their experiences of violence, women were more likely to be stalked by a man they knew.
Roughly 2.7 million Australians said they have been stalked, with women being eight times more likely to be stalked by a man than a woman, while men were stalked by both men and women at similar rates.
The survey, which was conducted during the COVID-19 pandemic lockdowns between March 2021 and May 2022, found that the victim group suffering the highest rates of stalking were young women who were studying, renting or undergoing financial difficulties, according to William Milne, ABS head of crime and justice statistics.
Most troublingly, almost 80 per cent of women reported that they’d been stalked by a current or former male intimate partner.
“Half of the women who were stalked by a male intimate partner were assaulted or threatened with assault by that same partner,” Milne said.
Women reported experiencing a range of stalking behaviours by their male intimate partners, such as sustained unwanted contact with them via internet or phone, loitering around home or place of work, receiving disturbing or offensive objects, and following them or tracking them electronically
In June, NSW Crime Commission revealed that one in four people who purchased GPS tracking devices since 2023 have a history of domestic violence; with CEO of top Domestic and Family Violence Organisation Women’s Community Shelters, Annabelle Daniel saying “Surveillance devices enhance an abuser’s ability to stalk their partner and children, allowing them to know their whereabouts constantly and create a climate of ‘omnipresence’ by the abuser.”
Among the 964,500 women who reported experiencing stalking by a man in the last 10 years, 36 per cent said the most recent stalking episode lasted between 1 month and 1 year.
Half the women stalked by a male intimate partner said they were being followed for more than 12 months, while just over 12 per cent said the stalking lasted for more than three years.
A quarter of women who experienced stalking said the police were contacted about the most recent episode, though only 22 per cent said they contacted the police themselves. Of those who reported the stalking incident to police, about one fifth of the perpetrators were charged.
Women who decided not to contact police cited reasons including feeling that they could deal with the issue themselves, believing that the stalking behaviour was not a serious crime, and not having faith that the police could do anything.
The data showed that almost every woman who was stalked by an intimate partner was left feeling angry, anxious, annoyed, fearful of their own safety, had difficulty sleeping and losing confidence.
Many also reported experiencing panic attacks, shame, guilt, shock and becoming more hyper-cautious of their personal safety. Most women reported that their social lives had been compromised by the affects of being stalked, while others reported being impacted in their own homes, such as difficulty completing household tasks and changing their eating or sleeping habits.
If you or someone you know is being stalked or monitored, you can call 1800RESPECT on 1800 737 732, text 0458 737 732 or visit their website for online chat and video call services.
If you or someone you know is experiencing, or at risk of experiencing, domestic, family or sexual violence, call 1800RESPECT on 1800 737 732, text 0458 737 732 or visit 1800RESPECT.org.au for online chat and video call services.
If you are concerned about your behaviour or use of violence, you can contact the Men’s Referral Service on 1300 766 491 or visit http://www.ntv.org.au.
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