Stalking Victims, Victims of Sexual violence and Criminal Justice System Responses: Is there a Difference or just ‘Business as Usual?

Based on the qualitative accounts of 26 self-defined stalking victims, this article examines the experiences of stalking victims with regard to the responses they received from criminal justice system practitioners. These experiences are compared and discussed in relation to the responses victims of domestic violence and rape commonly receive by criminal justice system officials. The discussion reveals the way the experiences of stalking victims with criminal justice system officials parallel the experiences of victims of other forms of sexual violence and points out the meaning of these commonalities. The article concludes by assessing the role of the law in improving the treatment of victims by the criminal justice system and problematizing its potential in bringing about social change.