Book Review

Abstract

Partner Stalking: How Women Respond, Cope, and Survive is a book that gives powerful accounts of women in stalking relationships. This book examines interview narratives of 62 women who have experienced partner stalking. The authors use a convenience sample comprised of half urban and half suburban women. Most of the women in this book have experienced both physical violence and sexual coercion as part of their stalking experiences. The authors present the following aspects of being female victims of stalking: their perceptions and experiences of stalking, their coping and co-occurring problems from stalking, the support systems, (informal and formal) responses, and the justice system’s responses to stalking. Each chapter begins with a personal narrative and contains multiple quotations from the interviews. The strengths of this book are numerous. The variety of first-hand experiences brings the subject matter to life. Second, the reader is able to make sense of a phenomenon that is commonly misunderstood by those in the mental health and legal systems. For example, the chapter on mental health services describes the responses practitioners have to women in this situation and the lack of assistance available because of barriers. This is useful information that can inform some of the systemic practices that are unknowingly detrimental to female victims of stalking. The research, however, has some limitations. One drawback of the book is the lack of information given to the mental health community about best practices. While the authors provide a great deal of descriptive statistics, they do not provide empirical information regarding predisposing factors of being in such a stalking relationship. This book may be beneficial to female victims of stalking relationships. Since the nature of stalking can be a silent and lonely phenomenon, it may be helpful for victims to learn from this book more about the prevalence and effects of stalking. Alienation and isolation are two of the common tactics used by men in these relationships; thus, reading stories of other women may be affirming and empowering for victims. Also, the authors combined seemingly disparate sides of the issue throughout illustrating both urban and rural women’s perceptions.