700 Scots tell city scientist of stalking terror

Published on Wednesday 10 March 2010 08:45

AT LEAST 700 Scots have been the victim of stalking, new city research project has revealed.

Dr Lorraine Sheridan, a forensic psychologist at Edinburgh's Heriot-Watt University, carried out a major study into the crime.

Several thousand victims from 47 countries across the world completed a survey as part of her work, including 700 from Scotland.

Dr Sheridan was contacted by 2,000 victims from the US and 1,200 from England and Wales. She said she was "amazed" at the number of Scots who had contacted her.

Those who took part in the study completed a detailed questionnaire, revealing the impact stalking had on their lives.

Dr Sheridan, a senior research fellow at the university, found that 86 per cent of victims were female and that half of all victims had previously had an intimate relationship with their stalker.

A third had some type of previous acquaintance with their stalker, for example, being targeted by someone from work, a neighbour or a friend of a friend. One in ten stalkers was a total stranger to their victim.

The average age of victims when the stalking began was 33 – but the youngest was just ten and the oldest was aged 71.