Stalking presents forensic psychologists with a distinct challenge in violence risk assessment. Unlike many other forms of violence, stalking unfolds as a prolonged pattern of behavior involving a specific victim, creating a dynamic interplay between perpetrator characteristics and victim circumstances that must be assessed together. The development of specialized tools for stalking assessment and management reflects the field's recognition that general violence risk instruments, while useful, cannot fully capture the complexities of this behavior and how it plays out in victims’ lives. Practitioners working in criminal justice, forensic mental health, and victim services increasingly rely on structured professional judgment approaches that integrate perpetrator risk factors with victim vulnerability considerations to inform case prioritization, intervention planning, and safety strategies.
The stakes of these assessments are considerable: between 10 and 33 percent of stalking victims are physically assaulted, with ex-intimate partners facing the highest risk. In addition to physical danger, victims of stalking endure psychological distress, social disruption, and financial consequences regardless of whether physical assault occurs. A forensic psychologist conducting these evaluations must therefore assess multiple outcome domains including likelihood of continued stalking, risk of psychological and social damage to the victim, and risk of physical violence.