Intimate partner stalking/pursuit: a pathophysiology of attachment style

Catherine Creamer; Christopher J Hand

doi:10.1177/0306624X211010289

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Intimate partner stalking/pursuit: a pathophysiology of attachment style

Journal article

Open access

Peer reviewed

Intimate partner stalking/pursuit: a pathophysiology of attachment style

Catherine Creamer and Christopher J Hand

International Journal of Offender Therapy and Comparative Criminology, Vol.66(5), pp.604-624

2022

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/0306624X211010289

PMCID: PMC8915219

PMID: 33896238

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Abstract

anxiety

polyvagal theory

attachment

stalking

vagal tone

intimate partner stalking

heart rate variability

intimate partner violence

obsessive relational intrusion

autonomic nervous system

Approximately half of stalking victims were previously in an intimate relationship with the perpetrator, and attachment style is strongly correlated with intimate partner stalking (IPS). In the first study to investigate polyvagal theory in IPS, we examined 58 adult participants’ attachment style, sex, history of IPS, vagal tone activity (i.e., heart rate variability; HRV), and cognitive processing disruptions (i.e., Stroop performance) in either participants who wished a relationship or in those who wished to maintain a relationship post-break-up. Results showed that males were more likely to perpetrate IPS than females. Anxious-style participants were more likely to have perpetrated IPS, showed greater cognitive disruption and HRV than avoidant-style participants. Our results support theories that attachment is a biological imperative with neurobiological implications that can be indexed physiologically and cognitively. This study is the first to demonstrate a pathophysiology of attachment style to IPS, in a replicable way. IPS is discussed as reflective of disordered arousal and related to anxiety. Recommendations for further research and clinically-relevant interventions are presented.

Details

Title: Intimate partner stalking/pursuit: a pathophysiology of attachment style
Authors: Catherine Creamer (Corresponding Author) - Glasgow Caledonian University
Christopher J Hand (Author) - Glasgow Caledonian University
Publication details: International Journal of Offender Therapy and Comparative Criminology, Vol.66(5), pp.604-624
Publisher: SAGE Publications, Inc.
Date published: 2022
DOI: 10.1177/0306624X211010289
ISSN: 0306-624X
PMID: 33896238; PMC8915219
Copyright note: Copyright (c) The Author(s) 2021. This article is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/) which permits any use, reproduction and distribution of the work without further permission provided the original work is attributed as specified on the SAGE and Open Access pages (https://us.sagepub.com/en-us/nam/open-access-at-sage).
Organisation Unit: University of the Sunshine Coast, Queensland; School of Law and Society
Language: English
Record Identifier: 99616008902621
Output Type: Journal article