The intersection of stalking and homicide - Te Puna Haumaru Seminar Series

Stalking and homicide seminar hero image

Stalking and homicide have long been linked in the public mind, reinforced by widespread media coverage of stranger homicides involving stalking.

Stalking has also been linked to homicide in the family violence sector, where intimate partner violence researchers have suggested that the presence of stalking indicates increased risk of fatal violence. However, the evidence base for such claims is weak.

In this seminar, Prof. Troy McEwan will discuss the intersection of stalking and homicide and the problems with existing research that limit what we can conclude about the relationship between the two. She will present findings from a recent study of over 800 Victorian homicides that identified the prevalence of prior stalking in this population.

Features of stalking homicide cases will be contrasted with what we know about those who engage in stalking violence generally. The seminar will conclude with some guidance about when the presence of stalking should provoke concern about the potential for lethal violence, and when it clearly should not.

Speaker: Professor Troy McEwan, Professor of Clinical and Forensic Psychology at the Centre for Forensic Behavioural Science, Swinburne University of Technology, Melbourne.