The ‘Silent’ Threat:
An Analysis of Stalking as a Pervasive Form of Gender-Based Violence
Posted by DAISY CHAPMAN 13 March 2025
On the 18th of February 2025, British tennis player and US Open Grand Slam champion, Emma Raducanu, was forced to pause her tennis match against Karolina Muchova in Dubai after spotting a man in the audience who had made her uncomfortable in the days before her match, having followed her from Singapore to Abu Dhabi, Doha and Dubai. The man was detained, and later signed a formal order stating that he would maintain distance from the athlete after ‘exhibiting fixated behaviour’. The initial charges against the individual were dropped after he had agreed to the restraining order, despite Raducanu’s coach stating that the man had observed her movements for hours and waited until Raducanu was alone “he...thought about it all and planned it. His strategy worked and it was to get closer to her”. 1
Cases such as this are not rare. In fact, in the UK alone, one in five women will experience stalking in their lifetime, despite many organisations believing this figure to be grossly underestimated, especially considering that studies have found that victims do not tend to report to the police until the 100th incident. Stalking of public figures and celebrities is also especially dangerous for female victims, and in many cases, fatal. In 1989, actress Rebecca Schaeffer (who was due to audition for the role of Michael Corleone’s daughter Mary in The Godfather Part III) was shot and killed by an obsessed male stalker. Similarly, in 2016, up-and-coming singer Christina Grimmie was shot by a fan, who then turned the gun on himself. 2 Many other female celebrities have had terrifying experiences with obsessed stalkers, including Sandra Bullock, Madonna, Taylor Swift, Drew Barrymore, Jodie Foster, Bjork, and Miranda Cosgrove along with British figures such as Lily Allen, presenters Emily Maitlis and Holly Willoughby, and Strictly Come Dancing Judge Shirley Ballas.
Forensic Psychologist, Dr Lorraine Sheridan, states that anyone can become a victim of stalking, and to avoid becoming a victim of stalking, would be to avoid the social world entirely. While statistics show that both men and women across all races and socio-economic statuses can become victims of stalking, women are more likely to be stalked, and men are more likely to be perpetrators of stalking.3 The prevalence of stalking directed towards women is largely deeply rooted in underlying systemic sexism and misogyny, as well as the enduring effects of historical oppression of women. These societal structures, which elevate men to a higher status than women, and imply (or outright define) women to be men’s property, contribute to a pattern of behaviour in which stalkers exhibit fixated, possessive and obsessive tendencies.
Stalking as a Symptom - Obsession, Ownership, and the Threat to Women’s Autonomy.
Stalking and possessive behaviours are not merely individual expressions of obsession, but symptomatic of broader cultural attitudes that view women as objects of control and possession. Throughout European history, the concept of ‘coverture’ in English common law served as a prime example of this treatment, wherein a married woman’s legal identity was absorbed by her husband, rendering her incapable of owning property, entering the workforce, or making any decisions without his consent. In many parts of the world, such as the Middle-East, India and Sub-Saharan Africa, patriarchal systems and cultural practices still persist in the form of arranged marriages, dowries and constant restrictions on personal freedoms.
The historical treatment and normalisation of women as property, rather than autonomous individuals, contributes to a mindset in which male entitlement and ownership are reinforced.
Women become objects in which to pursue and idealise, while being treated as subhuman and without any say over their own privacy and boundaries. Male entitlement, rooted in these long standing societal norms and cultures, plays a crucial role in the harmful belief that women are objects to be controlled, possessed, and obsessed over. This mindset often manifests in the ‘If i can't have you, no one can’ mentality, the dangerous outlook where a man’s right to a woman’s attention or existence overrides her own rights, autonomy and safety.
In 2021, in the UK, Gracie Spinks, an equestrian, lifeguard and swimming instructor, was stabbed to death by a stalker she had been co-workers with previously. The perpetrator,
described as ‘obsessed’, had tried to pursue Spinks romantically, persistently attempted contact with her, asked co-workers to monitor her activities, and would ‘spy’ on her via CCTV. Shortly after committing the murder, the perpetrator took his own life. Spinks had previously reported the stalker to Derbyshire police, who was categorised as a ‘low-risk’ suspect, despite reportedly having behaved inappropriately towards eight other women. In the months before Spinks’ murder, a backpack belonging to the perpetrator was found nearby Spinks’ horse stables that contained knives, a hammer, an axe, viagra pills, and a note reading ‘Don’t lie’. This incident was dismissed by the police.4
The tragic case of Gracie Spinks is just one of many cases where stalking has escalated into fatal violence against women. It serves as a stark example of male perpetrated harassment, stalking and murder, crimes often driven by deep rooted feelings of entitlement over women’s lives, privacy, and autonomy. These cases highlight the broader societal issue in which women’s boundaries and personal agency are repeatedly violated, often with deadly consequences.
The persistence of these violent patterns presents the urgent need for systemic changes, including stronger legal protections, such as Stalking Protection Orders in the UK, which allows the police to intervene early in cases with the potential to escalate. However, in Gracie Spinks’ case, Derbyshire police failed to implement a Stalking Protection Order against the perpetrator, leaving her without crucial safeguards.
The Intersection of Technology and Stalking
With the advent of modern technology, and constant communication via social media platforms, stalking has taken on new insidious forms. Cyberstalking, facilitated through social media, GPS tracking and digital surveillance, allows perpetrators to monitor and harass their victims with unprecedented ease. The accessibility of personal information online means that even individuals who take precautions can find themselves targeted by obsessive stalkers.
Women, in particular, face significant threats in the digital sphere. Revenge porn, doxxing (the spreading of a person’s private information online) and online harassment are increasingly common forms of gendered violence, often linked to stalking behaviours. In the UK, Matthew Hardy was sentenced to nine years in prison in 2022 for his decade-long campaign of online harassment against multiple women. Hardy created fake social media accounts to manipulate, intimidate, and spread malicious rumours about his victims, instilling near constant hypervigilance, fear and distress in the women he victimised. 5
Male entitlement over women’s autonomy & existence
Cases like these clearly demonstrate the extent of entitlement and possessiveness many men feel towards women and girls’ agency, attention, bodies, and overall existence. This entitlement is only reinforced by societal norms and media that promote the objectification and dehumanisation of women, such as through internet pornography and the sexualisation of women in movies and TV. Given this, it is not at all surprising that stalking and cyberstalking are significant risks for women and girls. Until cultures of ownership, entitlement and control of women can be recognised and addressed, stalking will continue to pose a serious and deadly threat to the lives of women and girls worldwide.
1. Sky Sports. Emma Raducanu: Former coach Roman Kelecic says "terrifying" man who stalked her followed her across countries. Sky Sports. February 22, 2025. https://www.skysports.com/tennis/news/12110/13314082/emma-raducanu-former-coach-roman-kelecic-says-terrifying-man-who-stalked-her-followed-her-across-countries.
2. Parfitt, R. (2023). Christina Grimmie, the forgotten murder: How do we detect and stop deranged fans? A case study for threat assessment. Journal of Threat Assessment and Management, 10(1), 18–31. https://doi.org/10.1037/tam0000181
3. Safer Futures. Stalking. Safer Futures. 2019. https://saferfutures.org.uk/resources/stalking/.
4. Sky News. (2025, March 3). Gracie Spinks: Limited investigation into stalking allegation ahead of woman’s death inquest concludes. Sky News. https://news.sky.com/story/gracie-spinks-limited-investigation-into-stalking-allegation-ahead-of-womans-death-inquest-concludes-13007295
5. Kale, S. (2022, March 30). 11 years, 10 arrests, at least 62 women: How did Britain’s worst cyberstalker evade justice for so long? The Guardian. https://www.theguardian.com/society/2022/mar/30/11-years-10-arrests-at-least-62-women-how-did-britains-worst-cyberstalker-evade-justice-for-so-long