Stalking: false claims of victimisation

Background False allegations of victimisation although uncommon are importa nt to recognise. This paper examines those who falsely claim to have been t he victims of stalking. Aims To highlight-the phenomenon of false victims of stalking. Method Twelve individuals who falsely claimed to be victims of stalking wer e compared with a group of 100 true stalking victims. Results False stalking victims presented for help earlier than real victims and were less likely to claim harassment via letters. They reported equiva lent levels of violence directed at themselves but seldom claimed others we re attacked. Five types of false claimants were recognisable. False victims consumed more medical services than genuine stalking victims and they were more likely to be embroiled in legal action. They reported similar revels of distress with suicidal ruminations in over 40%. Conclusions The current interest in stalking is promoting false claims of b eing stalked. Early identification of these cases and appropriate intervent ion are essential to both minimising abuses of resources available to true victims and equally to ensure appropriate care for those who express their own disordered state in false claims of victimisation. Declaration of interest None.