Help-Seeking from Victim Services, Personal Networks, and Reporting to Police: Stalking Victim Behaviors from the 2019 NCVS Supplemental Victimization Survey.

This article analyzes predictors of stalking victimization, help-seeking behaviors, and reporting to police using the nationally representative 2019 National Crime Victimization Survey, Supplemental Victimization Survey (NCVS-SVS). It finds that stalking victims are more likely to be younger, female, identify as non-heterosexual, have household incomes below $50,000, and have some college education. Victims who know their offenders, whether intimate or non-intimate, are more likely to seek help from victim-serving agencies and personal networks, while younger victims tend to seek help from personal networks more often. However, no examined victim characteristics or victim–offender relationships significantly predicted reporting stalking to police. The study highlights ongoing gaps in resources for victims of stranger stalking and calls for continued research focusing on diverse populations and nuanced help-seeking dynamics.