DOI: 10.3886/icpsr03142.v1
title: Role of Stalking in Domestic Violence Crime Reports Generated by the Colorado Springs Police Department, 1998
title: Version 1

description: This study examined the role of stalking in domestic
 violence crime reports produced by the Colorado Springs Police
 Department (CSPD). It provided needed empirical data on the prevalence
 of stalking in domestic violence crime reports, risk factors
 associated with intimate partner stalking, and police responses to
 reports of intimate partner stalking. The study was conducted jointly
 by the Justice Studies Center (JSC) at the University of Colorado at
 Colorado Springs and the Denver-based Center for Policy Research
 (CPR). JSC staff generated the sample and collected the data, and CPR
 staff processed and analyzed the data. The sample was generated from
 CSPD Domestic Violence Summons and Complaint (DVSC) forms, which were
 used by CSPD officers to investigate crime reports of victims and
 suspects who were or had been in an intimate relationship and where
 there was probable cause to believe a crime was committed. During
 January to September 1999, JSC staff reviewed and entered information
 from all 1998 DVSC forms into a computerized database as part of the
 evaluation process for Domestic Violence Enhanced Response Team
 (DVERT), a nationally recognized domestic violence prevention
 program. A subfile of reports initiated during April to September 1998
 was generated from this database and formed the basis for the study
 sample. The DVSC forms contained detailed information about the
 violation including victim and suspect relationship, type of violation
 committed, and specific criminal charges made by the police
 officer. The DVSC forms also contained written narratives by both the
 victim and the investigating officer, which provided detailed
 information about the events precipitating the report, including
 whether the suspect stalked the victim. The researchers classified a
 domestic violence crime report as having stalking allegations if the
 victim and/or police narrative specifically stated that the victim was
 stalked by the suspect, or if the victim and/or police narrative
 mentioned that the suspect engaged in stalking-like behaviors (e.g.,
 repeated following, face-to-face confrontations, or unwanted
 communications by phone, page, letter, fax, or e-mail). Demographic
 variables include victim-suspect relationship, and age, race, sex, and
 employment status of the victim and suspect. Variables describing the
 violation include type of violation committed, specific criminal
 charges made by the police officer, whether the alleged violation
 constituted a misdemeanor or a felony crime, whether a suspect was
 arrested, whether the victim sustained injuries, whether the victim
 received medical attention, whether the suspect used a firearm or
 other type of weapon, whether items were placed in evidence, whether
 the victim or suspect was using drugs and/or alcohol at the time of
 the incident, number and ages of children in the household, whether
 children were in the home at the time of the incident, and whether
 there was a no-contact or restraining order in effect against the
suspect at the time of the incident.
description: Several studies have found a link between
 stalking and violence perpetrated against women by intimates. As a
 result, the United States Department of Justice encouraged state and
 local jurisdictions to train police officers and other justice system
 officials about the potential risks associated with intimate partner
 stalking and the efficacy of using antistalking laws to respond to
 domestic violence and stalking. However, there was no systematic
 effort to measure the prevalence of stalking allegations in domestic
 violence crime reports or the ways in which justice system officials
 responded to these allegations. Thus, it was unclear how often domestic
 violence crime reports involved stalking and whether suspects in these
 cases were charged with stalking. This study examined the role of
 stalking in domestic violence crime reports generated by the Colorado
 Springs Police Department (CSPD). It provided needed empirical data on
 the prevalence of stalking in domestic violence crime reports, risk
 factors associated with intimate partner stalking, and police
 responses to reports of intimate partner stalking. The study sought to
 address the following questions: (1) How prevalent are stalking
 allegations in domestic violence crime reports? (2) What are the risk
 factors associated with domestic violence stalking? (3) How often are
 suspects of intimate partner stalking charged with stalking? (4) Do
 presenting conditions in domestic violence crime reports with stalking
 allegations differ significantly from those without stalking
 allegations? (5) Do law enforcement outcomes in domestic violence
 crime reports with stalking allegations differ significantly from
those without stalking allegations?
description: The study was conducted jointly by the Justice
 Studies Center (JSC) at the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs
 and the Denver-based Center for Policy Research (CPR). JSC staff
 generated the sample and collected the data, and CPR staff processed and
 analyzed the data. The sample was generated from CSPD Domestic Violence
 Summons and Complaint (DVSC) forms, which were used by CSPD officers to
 investigate crime reports of victims and suspects who were or had been
 in an intimate relationship and where there was probable cause to believe
 a crime was committed. During January to September 1999, JSC staff
 reviewed and entered information from all 1998 DVSC forms into a
 computerized database as part of the evaluation process for Domestic
 Violence Enhanced Response Team (DVERT), a nationally recognized
 domestic violence prevention program. A subfile of reports initiated
 during April to September 1998 was generated from this database and
 formed the basis for the study sample. The DVSC forms contained detailed
 information about the violation including victim and suspect relationship,
 type of violation committed, and specific criminal charges made by the
 police officer. The DVSC forms also contained written narratives by
 both the victim and the investigating officer, which provided detailed
 information about the events precipitating the report, including whether
 the suspect stalked the victim. The researchers classified a domestic
 violence crime report as having stalking allegations if the victim
 and/or police narrative specifically stated that the victim was stalked
 by the suspect, or if the victim and/or police narrative mentioned that
 the suspect engaged in stalking-like behaviors (e.g., repeated
 following, face-to-face confrontations, or unwanted communications by
phone, page, letter, fax, or e-mail).
description: Demographic variables include victim-suspect
 relationship, age, race, sex, and employment status of the victim and
 suspect. Variables describing the violation include type of violation
 committed, specific criminal charges made by the police officer,
 whether the alleged violation constituted a misdemeanor or a felony
 crime, whether a suspect was arrested whether the victim sustained
 injuries, whether the victim received medical attention, whether the
 suspect used a firearm or other type of weapon, whether items were
 placed in evidence, whether the victim or suspect was using drugs
 and/or alcohol at the time of the incident, number and ages of
 children in the household, whether children were in the home at the
 time of the incident, and whether there was a no-contact or
 restraining order in effect against the suspect at the time of the
incident.
description: Response Rates: Not applicable.
description: Presence of Common Scales: None.
description: Not applicable.
description: Datasets: 
DS1: Role of Stalking in Domestic Violence Crime Reports Generated by the Colorado Springs Police Department, 1998
description: Cases who were or had been in an intimate relationship and
 where there was probable cause to believe a crime was committed in
Colorado Springs in 1998.
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