Stalking victims' decisions to access victim services: A social ecological approach

Victim service agencies provide a wide range of resources and support to victims in the aftermath of crimes. Despite research showing the benefits of connecting victims to service providers, few crime victims access victim services in any form. What remains unknown is why? Using stalking data from the 2016 National Crime Victimization Survey, one in six victims (16%) had accessed victim services in the past year. While the majority of stalking victims who contacted service providers received assistance, 32% did not due language barriers, issues with childcare, and the availability/accommodations of resources. Incident-level characteristics accounted for most of the variance in stalking victims' decisions to contact victim service providers, particularly among victims who suffered financial and professional consequences. Victims were more likely to access victim services if they were women pursued by male perpetrators, stalked by a current intimate partner, attending school, or received referrals from the police or trusted sources of support.