Stalkers and Substance Use: A Scoping Review

Abstract

Substance use is associated with anger and violence, however the extent of substance use among stalkers has not yet been systematically mapped. The aim of this scoping review was to identify substance use behaviour among stalkers who have been charged or convicted for stalking behaviour. A scoping review was conducted, and nine studies met the inclusion criteria. Substance use among stalkers was inconsistently defined and therefore the percentage of stalkers who used substances ranged from 0 % to 64 %. Substance use was most commonly defined by a psychiatric diagnosis while substance use immediately before or during the stalking offence was reported infrequently. Studies defining substance use more stringently reported lower proportions of substance use among stalkers. Few studies differentiated between alcohol and drug use or considered comorbidity. Overall, this review identified stalkers' substance use as a research gap; few studies met the inclusion criteria, contemporary evidence was sparse, and there was an absence of research underpinned by addiction or non-forensic clinical perspectives. Future research should consider the temporal proximity of stalkers' substance use with their stalking behaviour as this may have greater relevance to intervention than the presence of a diagnostic history.