Gender and Stalking: Current Intersections and Future Directions

Within this concluding commentary, three important gender-stalking intersections that emerge across the papers included in this special issue are explicated. First, we consider the degree to which existing measures and definitions of stalking are gender sensitive toward both men and women. Second, gender roles and gender socialization scripts are shown to impact our understanding of, perceptions about, and the impacts associated with stalking-like behaviors for both genders. Third, the intersection of gender and developing theories of stalking is considered. Finally, it is argued that future stalking researchers will need to be sensitive to changing cultural norms about gender, relationships, technology, and privacy as these are likely to alter the prevalence, perceptions, and prosecution of stalking within the United States and across the world.