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There is a considerable body of research on the assessment and prediction of aggression in psychiatric hospitals. A range of clinical and demographic characteristics associated with aggressive inpatients, such as young age and active symptoms of psychosis, have repeatedly been shown to contribute to aggression. Environmental factors have also been shown to be important. The study examined aggressive behaviours in an Australian forensic psychiatric hospital, using aggression‐specific recording instrumentation developed for the study. The purpose of the study was to compare results using aggression specific‐recording instrumentation with a previous study using retrospective methods relying on standard hospital incident forms, and to examine the relationship between type, direction and severity of aggression with the use of seclusion.In contrast with the results obtained in a previous study, staff rather than patients were more often the victims of both verbal and physical aggression, although patients were more frequently the victims of more severe forms of aggression. Patients were verbally and physically aggressive towards other patients at similar rates, although they were more frequently verbally, rather than physically, aggressive to staff. Acute wards recorded more aggression than rehabilitation wards. Males and females were aggressive at similar rates. A reduction in reported incidents of verbal and physical aggression, particularly against staff, occurred over the course of the study. Patients were secluded and incident forms were completed following approximately 30% of aggressive behaviours. Whether or not a patient was secluded and whether or not an incident form was completed depended on a range of factors, including the nature of the victim and the type and severity of the aggression.

The purpose of this study is to examine the latent structure of stalking. Stalking can be defined as a pattern of repeated and unwanted behaviours that cause another person to be afraid. The consequences for the victims can be severe and potentially happen over a long period of time. While stalking is considered as a taxon, empirical evidence and an absence of pathognomonic criteria point towards a dimensional structure.

The aim of this study is to examine the latent structure of stalking using taxometric analyses on the Severity of Stalking Behaviours Scale. Analyses were conducted on a sample of N = 1,032 victims’ accounts, who had contacted the National Stalking Helpline in the UK.

Taxometric analyses revealed that stalking presents a dimensional structure, and no taxonic peaks emerged. The results were consistent across analyses (MAMBAC, MAXEIG and L-Mode), indicators (CCFI, curves) and measures (items, factors).

A dimensional structure implies that individual variation is a matter of intensity, and the present results suggest that the conceptualization of stalking should be modified. Understanding stalking from a dimensional perspective provides support to study stalking in non-clinical populations. Scales that measure stalking should provide discrimination along the entire continuum rather than focusing on putative taxonic boundaries and arbitrary threshold.

This paper is proposing the first set of taxometric analyses on stalking. The results are providing empirical support to the idea that stalking exists on a continuum. It also strengthened the validity of previous findings in non-clinical populations and their applications all along the continuum, including with clinical populations.

This paper aims to present issues of deterrence related to stalking.

The authors have combined recent mixed method research findings and existing general deterrence literature with their practitioner experiences of working with this population, to provide a novel viewpoint paper intending to influence advancements in knowledge in this area.

Recent qualitative research investigating the function of stalking in a small sample (see Wheatley et al., 2020a) noted the participants’ focus on the lack of deterrence. For example, participants described feeling emotionally stuck in their pursuits, experiencing poor access to help and support, being ignorant of the potential custodial consequences of their offending and even stating that imprisonment provided a harsh yet necessary moment of reality.

This novel discussion paper reviews these findings in relation to both the available research based on deterrence generally and deterrence related to stalking and the experience of working with stalking cases in clinical practice. This paper explores what we know about the motivations that underlie stalking behaviour and how that relates to the effectiveness of deterrence, including the role of traditional criminal justice approaches to this type of offending.

This discussion paper aims to highlight the role of occupational therapy (OT) in understanding stalking and in interventions designed to assist the perpetrator to lead a more fulfilling life through healthier occupations.

This study highlights the role of OT in understanding stalking and in designing interventions to assist the perpetrator by extending discussions, drawing on the authors’ practitioner experiences and upon recent study findings on what drives men who stalk.

Stalking is a problem behaviour that is often effort-intense, all-consuming, emotionally driven and psychologically damaging for both victims and perpetrators. It consists of a patterned occupation of time which is overarchingly dysfunctional, yet intrinsically purposeful. As humans, our actions and occupations have meaning to us. Stalking can be conceptualised as a meaningful yet self-defeating and harmful pattern of occupations. This paper illustrates how stalking could be addressed through the additional contribution of OT to multi-agency approaches.

This paper extends the discussion by drawing on the authors’ clinical practitioner experiences and upon recent study findings on what drives men who stalk.

This paper highlights the role of OT in understanding stalking and in interventions designed to assist the perpetrator to lead a more fulfilling life through healthier occupations.

This marriage of knowledge from OT and stalking research is set out in support of the application of OT within multi-agency approaches to working with people who stalk.

This discussion paper aims to further explore narcissistic vulnerability as a psychological concept in relation to stalking, adding to the literature base by resurrecting this focus and exploring practical implications of this association through proposing a schema therapy (ST) approach.

Stalking results from an interaction of circumstances and a vulnerable personality. Understanding the psychology of those who stalk, before and during stalking episodes, is pivotal in helping the person stalking to desist and thus protect victims. Knowing how to most effectively intervene at the earliest opportunity with those stalking is an area receiving renewed attention. Not least due to the improved identification of stalking, but also the continued absence of empirical evidence on effective intervention approaches. This paper sets out to explore the utility of ST with stalking cases.

Recent research undertaken by Wheatley et al. (2020) with men who had stalked and were detained in prison within the UK highlighted narcissistic vulnerability as a key feature in their personalities. The original study provided support for the linked conceptualisations of narcissistic vulnerability, preoccupied attachment styles and the phenomenon of stalking. This paper extended discussions to explore the utility of ST to address narcissistic vulnerability in stalking cases.

This is an original discussion paper combining research with stalking cases, practitioner specialism, psychological theory and existing empirical literature to argue for the value of ST for addressing stalking.

The research literature on stalking has proliferated in recent years. Even so, gaps remain. This commentary paper introduces a Special Issue on stalkers.

This Special Issue showcases Rachael Wheatley’s mixed methods work with male stalkers. These stalkers were actively engaged in the research process. Importantly, Wheatley’s studies took a phenomenological approach, exploring how these men construed their reality for engaging in stalking behaviour.

This Special Issue highlights many of the factors that may increase the risk that a person becomes a stalker, including disordered attachment, depression, entitlement, emotional regulation, stress management and narcissism.

Taken together, this collection of papers points to a need for practitioners and researchers alike to break out of silos and take a holistic and comprehensive approach to tackling the widespread problem of stalking.

This paper aims to consider stalking as an offending behaviour and the prevailing narratives associated with this offending behaviour given the increased attention of society and criminal justice. The stereotypes and labels associated with the offending behaviour often sensationalise aspects of those who engage in stalking. Frequently, individuals are portrayed as disturbed, psychopathic, mentally ill, violent and culturally deviant. Sometimes stalking behaviour is perversely downplayed as romantic perseverance. The impact of the stalker label extends outward from the act of marking legal and societal transgression, which impacts upon prospects for rehabilitation and desistance through the shaping of assumptions and maintenance of disempowering connotations.

This paper considers the impact of the stalking label as a therapeutic-, and perhaps rehabilitation-interfering problem for those who have stalked, drawing on recent research by Wheatley, Winder and Kuss (2020a).

It discusses the wide-ranging implications of labelling in this context and considers therapeutic approaches for intervention that may encourage rehabilitation engagement, mitigate shame and support desistance from a strengths-based perspective.

This paper draws on recent research exploring stalking case narratives of their own experiences of what drives stalking behaviour, existing labelling literature, and on specialist practitioners’ experiences of working with this group, to influence future thinking and research to address nuances highlighted.

There is an absence of qualitative research with individuals who have stalked. This special issue of articles draws on one study, rich with the meaning-making of experts by experience. That is, people who have stalked, been convicted and detained in UK prisons. The purpose of this issue is to provide forensic practitioners with an overview of current considerations for intervening with individuals who stalk. It does this by drawing together empirically derived interpreted experiences of men who stalk, expanding key discussions with expert practitioners in the field, working with those who stalk. It highlights current thinking on the psychology of stalking and multidisciplinary options for risk management. Furthermore, it provides an overview of necessary future directions.

Research findings from a recent, novel, mixed methods study (Wheatley, 2019 and Wheatleya et al., 2020) are discussed with other experienced stalking practitioners in the UK for reflection and discussion. The papers synthesise the research findings, existing psychological literature and practitioner experience to discuss implications for psychological practice with those who stalk.

The key findings resonated with current practitioners, providing a springboard for expanding thinking around stalking and crucial themes such as narcissistic vulnerability, deterrence, labelling and developing alternative meaningful activities.

In providing this marriage of experiential expert insights, this Special Issue advances the practice of psychology in relation to those who stalk, having clear applications to the processes of risk assessment, intervention and management. Pivotally, how to enhance engagement opportunities to develop working and therapeutic relationships.

This issue introduces new subtopics, some of which have never been written about before. It provides discussion papers marrying research with practitioner experience, with a focus on practical applications within criminal psychology and future directions.

This paper aims to provide instructions on how to implement an adapted version of the standard repertory grid technique (VARGT). The purpose of which is to provide practitioners with a tool, which enables active engagement by participants in research and clinical practice. This tool has been used effectively with people convicted of stalking offences.

Repertory grids, developed from Kelly’s Personal Construct Theory (1955), had never been used with those who stalk, either clinically or in a research context. Visual and kinaesthetic adaptations were made to standard RGT procedures (Grice, 2002; Tan and Hunter, 2002), for use in a mixed methods research study (Wheatley, 2019, p. 77) due to expected challenges in engaging with this group. This manuscript presents theoretical underpinnings and step-by-step instructions for practical application.

The VARGT is easy to administer and produces rich data, in both qualitative and quantitative formats. This adapted approach encourages active participation and an interpreted therapeutic collaboration (Wheatley et al., 2020).

This novel technique has engaged men convicted of stalking offences collaboratively in research activities and showed potential for its use as a clinical tool. This instructional technical paper allows the technique to be replicated.

This novel technique has engaged men convicted of stalking offences collaboratively in research activities and showed potential for its use as a clinical tool. This instructional technical paper allows the technique to be replicated.