Experiences of stalking: What the latest figures show

Around 1 successful 7 radical aged 16 years and implicit successful England and Wales person been a unfortunate of stalking astatine slightest once, figures suggest.

Here are immoderate of the cardinal statistics, according to the latest disposable data:

– Overall experiences of stalking

A full of 14.4% of radical aged 16 and implicit are apt to person experienced stalking astatine immoderate constituent successful their lives.

This fig is based connected responses collected by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) arsenic portion of its astir caller transgression survey of England and Wales, which was carried retired successful the twelvemonth to March 2024.

Around 1 successful 20 (5.2%) radical are apt to person been stalked by a spouse oregon ex-partner, portion astir 1 successful 50 (2.2%) person been stalked by a household member.

Some 3.2% of radical aged 16 and implicit said they had experienced stalking successful the past 12 months arsenic of March 2024, down somewhat from 3.4% successful the erstwhile year.

The fig of 3.2% is equivalent to astir 1.5 cardinal radical crossed England and Wales.

Older humanities information is disposable lone for radical aged 16 to 59.

This shows the semipermanent inclination has been broadly level implicit the past decade, with the proportionality each twelvemonth ranging betwixt 3.5% and 4.7% of this property group, including 3.8% successful 2023/24.

By contrast, the fig of stalking offences recorded by the constabulary has “risen dramatically” implicit this period, which is apt to bespeak “improvements to constabulary signaling practices, changes to Home Office counting rules and victims’ willingness to travel forward”, the ONS said.

Despite these rises, the fig of police-recorded stalking offences remains good beneath levels reported successful the survey, with 129,076 offences recorded successful the twelvemonth ending March 2024, up from 2,885 successful the twelvemonth to March 2015.

“While determination are flimsy differences successful however the survey and the constabulary specify stalking, which whitethorn explicate this gap, it is imaginable that owed to the delicate quality of the crime, victims whitethorn not ever study it to the police,” the ONS added.

– Stalking victims by gender

Women are much apt to beryllium a unfortunate of stalking than men.

One successful 5 women (20.2%) successful England and Wales person experienced stalking astatine immoderate constituent since the property of 16, compared with astir 1 successful 11 men (8.7%), according to the latest ONS figures.

In the twelvemonth to March 2024, 4.0% of women aged 16 and implicit reported experiencing stalking, on with 2.3% of men.

Looking astatine yearly humanities information for radical aged 16 to 59, the proportionality of women successful this property radical who were a unfortunate of stalking successful the twelvemonth to March was 5.0%, down from 5.7% successful the erstwhile 12 months, portion for men it was 3.8%, down from 4.3%.

The ONS said these decreases were not statistically significant.

For some women and men, the figures for the twelvemonth to March were the lowest since 2016/17, though higher than levels a decennary ago.

Younger radical are much apt to beryllium victims of stalking than older property groups.

Some 8.8% of 16-19 year-olds successful England and Wales experienced stalking successful the past year, according to the ONS survey.

The fig drops with each successive property group, falling to 5.7% for 20-24 year-olds, past 3.9% for 25-34 year-olds, 3.3% for 35-44 year-olds, 2.6% for 45-54 year-olds, 2.5% for 55-59 year-olds, 1.8% for 60-74 year-olds and 0.8% for radical aged 75 and over.

More than 1 successful 10 women (10.5%) and astir 1 successful 15 men (6.7%) aged 16 to 19 years were a unfortunate of the transgression successful the twelvemonth to March.

These are the highest figures among property groups for some females and males.

People identifying arsenic achromatic are much apt to acquisition stalking than different taste groups.

Some 4.6% of achromatic radical aged 16 and implicit successful England and Wales were a unfortunate of stalking successful the twelvemonth to March 2024, higher than the equivalent figures for achromatic (3.2%), Asian (2.8%) and mixed (2.5%) groups.

The signifier is akin erstwhile looking astatine females, with 6.9% of achromatic women apt to person experienced stalking successful the 12 months to March, compared with 4.2% of women of mixed ethnicity, 4.0% of achromatic women and 2.5% of Asian women.

Among men, the fig is highest for Asian males (3.0%), followed by achromatic males (2.3%) and past achromatic males (2.0%), with nary information disposable for males of mixed ethnicity due to the fact that of the tiny illustration size.