The study, conducted by the Sentencing Advisory Council found that 25,130 stalking offences were recorded in Victoria between 2011 and 2020.

Of those offences, only 6825 stalking charges in 5438 cases were sentenced by the courts

More news: Regional Victoria over-represented in intervention orders, new report finds

The report suggested that the widespread belief that most stalking occurred between strangers was untrue.

It also found the 87 per cent of offenders were male and 80 per cent of victims were female.

The report aimed to assist the Victorian Law Reform Commission's inquiry on how to improve responses to stalking, including whether there is a need to reform current sentencing practices.

Stalking was rarely the only offence in the case, with the most common co-sentenced offence being a breach of a family violence safety notice or intervention order.

Centre Against Sexual Assault chief executive Kate Wright said although anyone could experience stalking, is was really important that people note that stalking was overwhelmingly perpetrated by males against female victims.

"The justice and service system interventions that address stalking must also view and respond to the gendered nature of this crime," she said.

"We find that stalking behaviour is often cumulative and may not be easily identified by the victim, which can make it difficult to report."

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Ms Wright said the state-wide data reflected the local data.

"Stalking is now one of the things we would see is a common factor in family violence," she said.

More than half of all stalking offences occurred in a family violence context (52 per cent), while 53 per cent of recorded stalkers were either the current or former intimate partner of the victim.

The council found more than half of stalkers, 56 per cent reoffended in some capacity within four years, while eight per cent were charged again with stalking.

Centre for Non-Violence programs and services executive manager Yvette Jaczina said the impact of family violence for victim/survivors could be long lasting.

She said it could also contribute to significant ongoing harm for victim/survivors.

"At CNV, we support many victim survivors who experience stalking from their perpetrators," she said.

"We see many cases where stalking behaviours are repeated by perpetrators, despite intervention orders being in place.

"Stalking needs to be taken seriously by all parts of the system and perpetrators need to be held accountable. Appropriate sentencing can be one part of that".

Ms Jaczina said CNV's men's behaviour change programs supported men to address family violence and help them understand the impacts of their use of violence and abuse on their partners, children and relationships.

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"The programs help men understand and unpack beliefs, attitudes and expectations that underpin their use of violence and control within their relationships," she said.

"They are encouraged to learn new ways of thinking and to behave differently in situations where they had previously used violence and abuse.

"The focus in the groups is on developing a more positive set of behaviours.

"Men are challenged to take responsibility for their behaviour, but the program also models an attitude of respect rather than punishment or shame."

Council chairperson Emeritus Professor Arie Freiberg said the term stalking covered a broad range of behaviours, and it is capable of causing serious harm.

"In some instances, it can progress to physical violence, sometimes with tragic results," he said.

"But for many victims, it is often the other aspects of stalking that are the most damaging: repeated intrusions that remove their sense of security, force them to rearrange their lives, and cause psychological harm such as post-traumatic stress disorder or depression.

'The research tells us that stalking is most high risk when it is ongoing, when it is intense in nature and when it is linked to a violent relationship, and this report shows that courts take those factors seriously at sentencing."

Professor Freiberg said the research also suggested that there were often complicated psychological issues that contribute to stalking, whether it is a psychotic illness, a personality disorder or a cognitive disability.

"It is important that we respond to those aspects of stalking too."

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The council highlighted Forensicare's Problem Behaviour Program as a unique treatment that has been proven to reduce reoffending.

"That referral depends on those people not only being aware of the program itself but also recognising the behaviour as stalking," the report said.

"The problem is that, too often, stalking behaviour does not result in a sentenced stalking charge. This is a significant issue.

"The most effective way to protect the community from many stalkers is to prioritise their treatment in order to reduce their risk of further offending."

The report said there needed to be changes to ensure stalkers had access to programs like the one Forensicare offers.

The council recommended improving awareness of the consequences of negotiating away stalking charges, improving awareness of rehabilitation programs, and establishing specialised programs in prisons.

- AAP

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