Disaster in Disguise
Intimate stalking and domestic violence are particularly tricky topics of criminal justice. The way that these problems are intertwined with our ideas of romance and gender perpetuates the idea that the behavior is normal in the mind of the victim. In Courting Disaster: Intimate Stalking, Culture, and Criminal Justice, we see the experiences of victims of intimate stalking and violence, and the way they are perceived in the courtroom, which ultimately determines the result of the case.
For a man’s pursuit of a woman to be considered criminal under the title of stalking, there must be evidence of the victim’s noncompliance (Dunn 3) and proof that the victim was not precipitating the defendant’s behavior (Dunn 170). For …show more content…
These might also be seen as inattention (Dunn 62). Help-seeking requires the presentation of fear (Dunn 63). This kind of response might include calling the police, insisting on prosecution or arrest, getting an escort, or simply screaming to draw attention (Dunn 61). Many victims use compliance techniques in the hope that they will keep the defendant calm and avoid further escalation of the problem (Dunn 60). This might mean accepting phone calls, trying to interact and reason with the defendant, opening the door to talk, not reporting violations of protective orders, requesting a lesser term or no jail time, letting the defendant into their home, dismissing the case, initiating contact, meeting the defendant somewhere, having sex with the defendant, or visiting the defendant in jail (Dunn 61). Another response is resistance. This generally builds upon the feeling of anger at being victimized (Dunn 73). This response includes stating boundaries, not letting the defendant into your home, threatening to call the police, fighting or struggling, hanging up the phone, arguing with the defendant, or yelling and swearing at the defendant (Dunn …show more content…
The fact that victims have to demonstrate that they were noncompliant and did not provoke the defendant to stalk them places the crime of intimate stalking in a category with other gender violence, such as rape and domestic violence (Dunn 4). Understanding that the way that victims respond to stalking is not always a conscious, personal choice can go a long way in seeking justice and peace for the victim. What we see as avoidance, help-seeking, compliant, or resistant depends on what the victim perceives as courting, surveillance, threatening, or violent. And, there is always the possibility that these gestures could be misconstrued as
Intimate stalking and domestic violence are particularly tricky topics of criminal justice. The way that these problems are intertwined with our ideas of romance and gender perpetuates the idea that the behavior is normal in the mind of the victim. In Courting Disaster: Intimate Stalking, Culture, and Criminal Justice, we see the experiences of victims of intimate stalking and violence, and the way they are perceived in the courtroom, which ultimately determines the result of the case.
For a man’s pursuit of a woman to be considered criminal under the title of stalking, there must be evidence of the victim’s noncompliance (Dunn 3) and proof that the victim was not precipitating the defendant’s behavior (Dunn 170). For …show more content…
These might also be seen as inattention (Dunn 62). Help-seeking requires the presentation of fear (Dunn 63). This kind of response might include calling the police, insisting on prosecution or arrest, getting an escort, or simply screaming to draw attention (Dunn 61). Many victims use compliance techniques in the hope that they will keep the defendant calm and avoid further escalation of the problem (Dunn 60). This might mean accepting phone calls, trying to interact and reason with the defendant, opening the door to talk, not reporting violations of protective orders, requesting a lesser term or no jail time, letting the defendant into their home, dismissing the case, initiating contact, meeting the defendant somewhere, having sex with the defendant, or visiting the defendant in jail (Dunn 61). Another response is resistance. This generally builds upon the feeling of anger at being victimized (Dunn 73). This response includes stating boundaries, not letting the defendant into your home, threatening to call the police, fighting or struggling, hanging up the phone, arguing with the defendant, or yelling and swearing at the defendant (Dunn …show more content…
The fact that victims have to demonstrate that they were noncompliant and did not provoke the defendant to stalk them places the crime of intimate stalking in a category with other gender violence, such as rape and domestic violence (Dunn 4). Understanding that the way that victims respond to stalking is not always a conscious, personal choice can go a long way in seeking justice and peace for the victim. What we see as avoidance, help-seeking, compliant, or resistant depends on what the victim perceives as courting, surveillance, threatening, or violent. And, there is always the possibility that these gestures could be misconstrued as