'What I would have liked from the police’: victims’ experiences of police engagement during the investigation of cyberstalking and cyberharassment

Short, E, McNamara, N ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3123-3678, Pitchford, M, Conradie, L, Myers, E, Bhaker, S and Barnes, J, 2026. 'What I would have liked from the police’: victims’ experiences of police engagement during the investigation of cyberstalking and cyberharassment. Journal of Victimology and Victim Justice. ISSN 2516-6069

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Abstract

Victims of cyberstalking and online harassment experience barriers when engaging with the police, yet little is known about the psychological and social processes involved in these interactions. This study explored how victims of cyberstalking reported to police, and what factors influenced their decision to continue with their investigations. Fifty-three adults (44 women and 9 men), whose police investigations were closed and had not been identified as vulnerable by the police, participated in semi-structured interviews. Data were thematically analysed within a critical realist approach. Three themes were identified: (a) victims delayed reporting due to stigma, self-blame and not being taken seriously; (b) police responses that dismissed or undermined their complaints, reinforced these fears, while empathetic and validating police responses alleviated distress and encouraged participation; and (c) victims actively contributed to evidence gathering, but often felt unsupported, particularly when police neglected to investigate or follow up on information provided. Findings highlight the central role of initial police contact in shaping victims’ trust and engagement. Trauma-informed, victim-centred and digitally literate police practices, as well as interdisciplinary collaboration with specialist community advocates, are discussed to improve outcomes and support victims in cyberstalking cases.

Item Type:	Journal article
Publication Title:	Journal of Victimology and Victim Justice
Creators:	Short, E., McNamara, N., Pitchford, M., Conradie, L., Myers, E., Bhaker, S. and Barnes, J.
Publisher:	SAGE Publications
Date:	9 April 2026
ISSN:	2516-6069
Identifiers:	Number Type 10.1177/25166069261435357 DOI 2608697 Other
Rights:	© The Authors. This accepted manuscript has been accepted for publication following peer review but has not been copy-edited or typeset. This manuscript is made available for non-commercial use only. No derivative works permitted. Further re-use requires permission from the publisher. Under Sage's Green Open Access policy, the Accepted Version of the article may be posted in the author's institutional repository and reuse is restricted to non-commercial and no derivative uses.
Divisions:	Schools > School of Social Sciences
Record created by:	Melissa Cornwell
Date Added:	17 Apr 2026 10:29
Last Modified:	17 Apr 2026 10:29
URI:	https://irep.ntu.ac.uk/id/eprint/55563

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