Ten Years On: Stalking in Kirklees, policing and support for victims.

Stalking is included in the governments national strategy on violence against women and girls, whilst people of all genders can be victims, the majority of victims are women and the majority of perpetrators are men. Research nationally has identified a whole range of negative effects on stalking victims' psychological and physical health and has established a link to domestic murder, making prevention and early intervention particularly important. Stalking offences were introduced into law in England and Wales ten years ago in 2012, there has been a large increase in reports of stalking across West Yorkshire in the last two years, including in the Kirklees district, but convictions for stalking offences are low. There is no recent research on stalking in West Yorkshire nor any specialist support provision for victims, despite research showing such support brings about much better outcomes in terms of victims health and well being and in the criminal justice system (Suzy Lamplugh Trust 2022). Secure Societies Institute (SSI) at the University of Huddersfield are carrying out an action research project which will bring the issue of stalking from the margins to the centre in policy, practice addressing violence against women and girls in the West Yorkshire region. We are carrying out an action research project focused on the Kirklees district of West Yorkshire, which involves the voices of women who have been victims of stalking. Our main partners in the project are West Yorkshire Police, West Yorkshire Violence Reduction Unit (West Yorkshire combined Authority), Safer Kirklees and Pennine Domestic Abuse Partnership. Action research is committed to supporting change, improving The main strands to the project are;

a. Setting up a new stalking knowledge and research hub linked to the Secure Societies Institute at the University of Huddersfield.
b. Reviewing police data on stalking and investigative decision making in stalking cases to inform improvements to policing responses.
c. Scoping current support for victims of stalking and review best practice for stalking victims/survivors internationally.
d. Consulting/involving women who have been victims of stalking about their experience of support and views on improving support.
e. Producing a model for a stalking support provision, produced with victims of stalking their advocates, domestic and sexual abuse services, women's and girls services and other organisations.

We will share practice and academic learning from the project across West Yorkshire via the hub. We will also share learning via the established multi-agency and community networks that the university and our partners, West Yorkshire Police, West Yorkshire Violence Reduction Unit, Safer Kirklees and Pennine Domestic Abuse Partnership are active within. Also we will share learning nationally.