Prevalence of and coping with stalking-related behavior among neighbors: A first exploration in Flanders.

Stalking among neighbors has received little attention in the literature. The current study aimed to examine the prevalence of stalking-related behavior among neighbors and the coping strategies that neighbors applied when confronted with this behavior. In a community sample of 366 Belgian citizens, 54% was confronted with at least one stalking-related behavior from their neighbor, whereas 10% reported at least five such behaviors. The latter group also experienced more intrusive and illegal behavior compared to the former group. When confronted with this behavior, participants were more likely to contact their informal network (i.e., family and friends) than formal support services (e.g., police and specialized mediation services). A significant group also reported an escalation of the stalking-related behaviors despite an attempt at coping with these behaviors. Current findings highlight the need to increase the knowledge about stalking among neighbors.