Skip to main content

Advertisement

SpringerLink
Log in

The Role of Gender in the Generation of Stalking Scripts

  • Original Article
  • Published:
Sex Roles Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

The focus of this research was to examine the influence of gender on college students’ stalking scripts. One hundred fifty-four participants from a university located in the southern United States generated a narrative account of what occurs during stalking. Women were expected to generate more examples of ambiguous, non-aggressive, behaviors than were men, as well as to generate more coping strategies on the part of the target. Results overall revealed a high degree of similarity in content of generated stalking behaviors as a function of gender. However, women generated hyper-intimacy behaviors and mediated contact as part of their scripts significantly more often than did men. Women were also significantly more likely to generate a coping strategy than men.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Abelson, R. P. (1981). Psychological status of the script concept. American Psychologist, 36, 715–729.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Amar, A. F. (2007). Behaviors that college women label as stalking or harassment. Journal of American Psychiatric Nurses Association, 13, 210–220.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Anderson, K. J., & Accomando, C. (1999). Madcap misogyny and romanticized victim-blaming: Discourses of stalking in There’s Something about Mary. Women and Language, 22, 24–28.

    Google Scholar 

  • Baldwin, M. W. (1992). Relational schemas and the processing of social information. Psychological Bulletin, 112, 461–484.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Baldwin, M. W. (1995). Relational schemas and cognition in close relationships. Journal of Social and Personal Relationships, 12, 547–552.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bartoli, A. M., & Clark, M. D. (2006). The dating game: Similarities and differences in dating scripts among college students. Sexuality and Culture, 10, 54–80.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Battaglia, D. M., Richard, F. D., Datteri, D. L., & Lord, C. G. (1998). Breaking up is (relatively) easy to do: A script for the dissolution of close relationships. Journal of Social and Personal Relationships, 15, 829–845.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Baum, K., Catalano, S., Rand, M., & Rose, K. (2009). Stalking victimization in the United States. (NCJ Report 224527). Washington DC: U.S. Department of Justice.

  • Baumeister, R. F., Wotman, S. R., & Stillwell, A. M. (1993). Unrequited love: On heartbreak, anger, guilt, scriptlessness and humiliation. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 64, 377–394.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bjerregaard, B. (2002). An empirical study of stalking victimization. In K. E. Davis, I. H. Frieze, & R. D. Maiuros (Eds.), Stalking: Perspectives on victims and perpetrators (pp. 112–137). NY: Springer.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bowleg, L., Lucas, K. J., & Tschann, J. M. (2004). “The ball was always in his court”: An exploratory analysis of relationship scripts, sexual scripts, and condom use among African-American women. Psychology of Women Quarterly, 28, 70–82.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Canadian Center for Justice Statistics. (2000). Family violence in Canada: A statistical profile. Ottawa: Ministry of the Interior.

    Google Scholar 

  • Clark, M. D., & Carroll, M. H. (2008). Acquaintance rape scripts of women and men: Similarities and differences. Sex Roles, 58, 616–625.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Coleman, F. L. (1997). Stalking behavior and the cycle of domestic violence. Journal of Interpersonal Violence, 12, 420–432.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Cupach, W. R., & Spitzberg, B. H. (1998). Obsessional relational intrusion and stalking. In W. R. Cupach & B. H. Spitzberg (Eds.), The dark side of close relationships (pp. 233–264). Mahwah: LEA.

    Google Scholar 

  • Cupach, W. R., & Spitzberg, B. H. (2000). Obsessive relational intrusion: Incidence, perceived severity, and coping. Violence and Victims, 15, 357–372.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Cupach, W. R., & Spitzberg, B. H. (2004). The dark side of relational pursuit: From attraction to obsession and stalking. Mahwah: LEA.

    Google Scholar 

  • Davis, K. E., Ace, A., & Andra, M. (2000). Stalking perpetrators and psychological maltreatment of partners: Anger-jealousy, attachment insecurity, need for control, and break-up context. Violence and Victims, 15, 407–425.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Davis, K. E., Frieze, I. H., & Maiuro, R. D. (Eds.). (2002). Stalking: Perspectives on victims and perpetrators. New York: Springer.

    Google Scholar 

  • de Becker, G. (2002). I was trying to let him down easy. In J. B. Boon & L. Sheridan (Eds.), Stalking and psychosexual obsession: Psychological perspectives for prevention, policing, and treatment (pp. 35–47). West Sussex: Wiley.

    Google Scholar 

  • Dennison, S. M. (2007). Interpersonal relationships and stalking: Indentifying when to intervene. Law and Human Behavior, 31, 353–367.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Dennison, S. M., & Thomson, D. M. (2000). Community perceptions of stalking: What are the fundamental concerns? Psychiatry, Psychology and Law, 7, 159–169.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Dennison, S. M., & Thomson, D. M. (2002). Identifying stalking: The relevance of intent in commonsense reasoning. Law and Human Behavior, 26, 543–561.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Dressing, H., Keuhner, C., & Gass, P. (2005). Lifetime prevalence and impact of stalking in a European population: Epidemiological data from a middle-sized German city. British Journal of Psychiatry, 30, 10–17.

    Google Scholar 

  • Emerson, R. M., Ferris, K. O., & Gardner, C. B. (1998). On being stalked. Social Problems, 45, 289–313.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Fiske, S. T., & Taylor, S. E. (1991). Social cognition (2nd ed.). New York: McGraw-Hill.

    Google Scholar 

  • Fremouw, W. J., Westrup, D., & Pennypacker, J. (1997). Stalking on campus: The prevalence and strategies for coping with stalking. Journal of Forensic Science, 42, 666–669.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hills, A. M., & Taplin, J. L. (1998). Anticipated responses to stalking: Effect of threat and target- stalker relationship. Psychiatry, Psychology & Law, 5, 139–146.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Holmberg, D., & MacKenzie, S. (2002). So far, so good: Scripts for romantic relationship development as predictors of relational well-being. Journal of Social and Personal Relationships, 19, 777–796.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Honeycutt, J. M., & Cantrill, J. G. (2001). Cognition, communication, and romantic relationships. Mahwah: Erlbaum.

    Google Scholar 

  • Honeycutt, J. M., Cantrill, J. G., & Allen, T. (1992). Memory structures for relational decay: A cognitive test of sequencing of de-escalating actions and stages. Human Communication Research, 18, 528–562.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Jagessar, J. D. H., & Sheridan, L. P. (2004). Stalking perceptions and experiences across two cultures. Criminal Justice and Behavior, 31, 97–119.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Jordon, C. E., Wilcox, P., & Pritchard, A. J. (2007). Stalking acknowledgement and reporting among college women experiencing intrusive behaviors: Implications for the emergence of a “classic stalking case. Journal of Criminal Justice, 35, 556–569.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kahn, A. S., Mathie, V. A., & Torgler, C. (1994). Rape scripts and rape acknowledgment. Psychology of Women Quarterly, 18, 53–66.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kraaij, V., Arensman, E., Garnefski, N., & Kremers, I. (2007). The role of cognitive coping in female victims of stalking. Journal of Interpersonal Violence, 22, 1603–1612.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Krahé, B., Bieneck, S., & Scheinberger-Olwig, R. (2007). Adolescents’ sexual scripts: Schematic representations of consensual and nonconsensual heterosexual interactions. Journal of Sex Research, 44, 316–327.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Langhinrichsen-Rohling, J., Palarea, R. E., Cohen, J., & Rohling, M. L. (2002). Breaking up is hard to do: Unwanted pursuit behaviors following the dissolution of a romantic relationship. In K. E. Davis, I. H. Frieze, & R. D. Maiuro (Eds.), Stalking: Perspectives on victims and perpetrators (pp. 212–236). NY: Springer.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lenton, A. P., & Bryan, A. (2005). An affair to remember: The role of sexual scripts in perceptions of sexual intent. Personal Relationships, 12, 483–498.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Littleton, H. L., & Axsom, D. (2003). Rape and seduction scripts of university students: Implications for rape attributions and unacknowledged rape. Sex Roles, 49, 465–475.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lowney, K. S., & Best, J. (1995). Stalking strangers and lovers: Changing media typifications of a new crime problem. In J. Best (Ed.), Images of issues (pp. 33–55). New York: Walter de Gruyte, Inc.

    Google Scholar 

  • Malamuth, N. M., & Brown, L. M. (1994). Sexually aggressive men’s perceptions of women’s communications: Testing three explanations. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 67, 699–712.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Meloy, J. R., & Gothard, S. (1995). A demographic and clinical comparison of obsessional followers and offenders with mental disorders. American Journal of Psychiatry, 152, 258–263.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • National Institute of Justice (1996). Domestic violence, stalking, and antistalking legislation (Annual Report to Congress under the Violence Against Women Act, NCJ 160943). Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Justice.

  • Pathé, M., & Mullen, P. E. (1997). The impact of stalkers on their victims. British Journal of Psychiatry, 170, 12–17.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Phillips, L., Quirk, R., Rosenfeld, B., & O’Connor, M. (2004). Is it stalking? Perceptions of stalking among college undergraduates. Criminal Justice and Behavior, 31, 73–96.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Pryor, J. B., & Merluzzi, T. V. (1985). The role of expertise in processing social interaction scripts. Journal of Experimental Social Psychology, 21, 362–379.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Purcell, R., Pathé, M., & Mullen, P. E. (2002). The prevalence and nature of stalking in the Australian commmunity. The Australian and New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry, 36, 114–120.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Rose, S., & Frieze, I. H. (1989). Young singles’ scripts for a first date. Gender and Society, 3, 258–268.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rose, S., & Frieze, I. H. (1993). Young singles contemporary dating scripts. Sex Roles, 28, 499–509.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rummelhart, D. E., & Norman, D. A. (1988). Representation in memory. In R. C. Atkinson (Ed.), Steven’s handbook of experimental psychology: Vol 2. Learning and cognition (2nd ed., pp. 511–587). New York: Wiley.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ryan, K. M. (1988). Rape and seduction scripts. Psychology of Women Quarterly, 12, 237–245.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Schank, R. C., & Abelson, R. P. (1977). Scripts, plans, goals, and understanding: An inquiry into human knowledge structures. Hillsdale: Erlbaum.

    Google Scholar 

  • Sheridan, L., Gillett, R., & Davies, G. (2000). Stalking: Seeking the victim’s perspective. Psychology, Crime, and Law, 6, 267–280.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sheridan, L., Davies, G. M., & Boon, J. C. (2001). Stalking: Perceptions and prevalence. Journal of Interpersonal Violence, 16, 151–167.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sheridan, L., Gillett, R., & Davies, G. (2002). Perceptions and prevalence of stalking in a male sample. Psychology, Crime, and Law, 8, 289–310.

    Google Scholar 

  • Sheridan, L., Gillett, R., Davies, G., Blaauw, G. M., & Patel, D. (2003). There’s no smoke without fire: Are male ex-partners perceived as more entitled to stalk than acquaintance or stranger stalkers? British Journal of Psychology, 94, 87–98.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Simon, W., & Gagnon, J. H. (1986). Sexual scripts: Permanence and change. Archives of Sexual Behavior, 15, 97–120.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Sinclair, H. C., & Frieze, I. H. (2000). Initial courtship behavior and stalking: How should we draw the line? Victims and Violence, 15, 23–40.

    Google Scholar 

  • Spitzberg, B. H. (2002). The tactical topography of stalking victimization and management. Trauma, Violence, & Abuse, 3, 261–288.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Spitzberg, B. H., & Cadiz, M. (2002). The media construction of stalking stereotypes. Journal of Criminal Justice and Popular Culture, 9, 128–149.

    Google Scholar 

  • Spitzberg, B. H., & Cupach, W. R. (2003). What mad pursuit? Obsessive relational intrusion and stalking related phenomena. Aggression and Violent Behavior, 8, 354–375.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Spitzberg, B. H., & Cupach, W. R. (2007). The state of the art of stalking: Taking stock of the emerging literature. Aggression and Violent Behavior, 12, 64–86.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Tjaden, P., & Thoennes, N. (1998). Stalking in America: Findings from the national violence against women survey. Washington, DC: National Institute of Justice and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

    Google Scholar 

  • Tjaden, P., Thoennes, N., & Allison, C. J. (2000). Comparing stalking from Legal and victim perspectives. Violence and Victims, 15, 7–22.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • White, J., Kowlaski, R. M., Lyndon, A., & Valentine, S. (2002). An integrative contextual developmental model of male stalking. In K. E. Davis, I. H. Frieze, & R. D. Maiuro (Eds.), Stalking: Perspectives on victims and perpetrators (pp. 163–185). NY: Springer.

    Google Scholar 

  • Williams, S. L., & Frieze, I. H. (2005). Courtship behaviors, relationship violence, andbreakup persistence in college men and women. Psychology of Women Quarterly, 29, 248–257.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Yanowitz, K. L. (2006). Influence of gender and experience on college students’ stalking schemas. Violence and Victims, 21, 91–100.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgement

The authors would like to thank the reviewers and editors for their valuable feedback and comments on earlier versions of this manuscript.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychology and Counseling, Arkansas State University, State University, AR, 72467, USA

    Karen L. Yanowitz

  2. Department of Psychology, Utica College, 1600 Burrstone Road, Utica, NY, 13502, USA

    Jennifer L. Yanowitz

Authors
  1. Karen L. Yanowitz
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Jennifer L. Yanowitz
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Karen L. Yanowitz.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Yanowitz, K.L., Yanowitz, J.L. The Role of Gender in the Generation of Stalking Scripts. Sex Roles 66, 366–377 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11199-010-9867-2

Download citation

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11199-010-9867-2

Keywords

Search

Navigation