Relational Pursuit
Cupach & Spitzberg‚ 2000; 2004
Copyright 2004
Have you ever persistently pursued someone in unwanted ways by…
1. LEAVING UNWANTED GIFTS (e.g.‚ flowers‚ stuffed animals‚ photographs‚ jewelry‚ etc.)
2. LEAVING UNWANTED MESSAGES OF AFFECTION (e.g.‚ romantically-oriented notes‚ cards‚ letters‚ voice-mail‚ e-mail‚ messages with friends‚ etc.)
3. MAKING EXAGGERATED EXPRESSIONS OF AFFECTION (e.g.‚ saying “I love you” after limited interaction‚ doing large and unsolicited favors for her/him‚ etc.)
4. FOLLOWING HIM/HER AROUND (e.g.‚ following her/him to or from work‚ school‚ home‚ gym‚ daily activities‚ etc.)
5. WATCHING HIM/HER (e.g.‚ driving by home or work‚ watching her/him from a distance‚ gazing at her/him in public places‚ etc.)
6. INTRUDING UNINVITED INTO HIS/HER INTERACTIONS (e.g.‚ “hovers” around your conversations‚ offers unsolicited advice‚ initiates conversations when she or he is clearly busy‚ etc.)
7. INVADING HIS/HER PERSONAL SPACE (e.g.‚ getting too close to her/him in conversation‚ touching her/him‚ etc.)
8. INVOLVING HIM/HER IN ACTIVITIES IN UNWANTED WAYS (e.g.‚ enrolling her/him in programs‚ putting her/him on mailing lists‚ using her/his name as a reference‚ etc.)
9. INVADING HIS/HER PERSONAL PROPERTY (e.g.‚ handling her/his possessions‚ breaking and entering into her/his home‚ showing up at his/her door or car‚ etc.)
10. INTRUDING UPON HIS/HER FRIENDS‚ FAMILY OR COWORKERS (e.g.‚ trying to befriend her/his friends‚ family or coworkers; seeking to be invited to social events‚ seeking employment at her/his work‚ etc.)
11. MONITORING HIM/HER AND/OR HIS/HER BEHAVIOR (e.g.‚ calling at all hours to check on her/his whereabouts‚ checking up on her/him through mutual friends‚ etc.)
12. APPROACHING OR SURPRISING HIM/HER IN PUBLIC PLACES (e.g.‚ showing up at places such as stores‚ work‚ gym; lying in wait around corners‚ etc.)
13. COVERTLY OBTAINING PRIVATE INFORMATION (e.g.‚ listening to her/his message machine‚ taking photos of her/him without their knowledge‚ stealing her/his mail or e-mail‚ etc.)
14. INVADING HIS/HER PROPERTY (e.g.‚ breaking and entering her/his home‚ car‚ desk‚ backpack or briefcase‚ etc.)
15. LEAVING UNWANTED THREATENING MESSAGES (e.g.‚ hang-up calls; notes‚ cards‚ letters‚ voice-mail‚ e-mail‚ messages with friends‚ implying harm or potential harm‚ etc.)
16. PHYSICALLY RESTRAINING HIM/HER (e.g.‚ grabbing her/his arm‚ blocking her/his progress‚ holding the car door while she/he is in the car‚ etc.)
17. ENGAGING IN REGULATORY HARASSMENT (e.g.‚ filing official complaints‚ spreading false rumors to officials—boss‚ instructor‚ etc.‚ obtaining a restraining order on her/him‚ etc.)
18. STEALING OR DAMAGING VALUED POSSESSIONS (e.g.‚ vandalized her/his property; things taken‚ damaged or hurt that only this person had access to‚ such as prior gifts‚ pets‚ etc.)
19. THREATENING TO HURT YOURSELF (e.g.‚ vague threats that something bad will happen to you‚ threatening to commit suicide‚ etc.)
20. THREATENING OTHERS SHE/HE CARES ABOUT (e.g.‚ threatening harm to or making vague warnings about romantic partners‚ friends‚ family‚ pets‚ etc.)
21. VERBALLY THREATENING HER/HIM PERSONALLY (e.g.‚ threats or vague warnings that something bad will happen to her/him‚ threatening personally to hurt her/him‚ etc.)
22. LEAVING OR SENDING HER/HIM THREATENING OBJECTS (e.g.‚ marked up photographs‚ photographs taken of her/him without their knowledge‚ pornography‚ weapons‚ etc.)
23. SHOWING UP AT PLACES IN THREATENING WAYS (e.g.‚ showing up at class‚ office or work‚ from behind a corner‚ staring from across a street‚ being inside her/his home‚ etc.)
24. SEXUALLY COERCING HER/HIM (e.g.‚ forcefully attempted/ succeeded in kissing‚ feeling‚ or disrobing her/him‚ exposed yourself‚ forced sexual behavior‚ etc.)
25. PHYSICALLY THREATENING HER/HIM (e.g.‚ throwing something at her/him‚ acting as if you will hit her/him‚ running finger across neck implying throat slitting‚ etc.)
26. PHYSICALLY HURTING HER/HIM (e.g.‚ pushing or shoving her/him‚ slapping her/him‚ hitting her/him with fist‚ hitting her/him with an object‚ etc.)
27. KIDNAPPING OR PHYSICALLY CONSTRAINING HER/HIM (e.g.‚ by force or threat of force‚ trapped her/him in a car or room; bound her/him; took her/him places against their will; etc.)
28. PHYSICALLY ENDANGERING HER/HIS LIFE (e.g.‚ strangled her/him‚ trying to run her/him off the road‚ displaying a weapon‚ in front of her/him‚ using a weapon to subdue her/him‚ etc.)
Note: Scale can be used to assess stalking perpetrated by non-partners.
Copyright © 2004‚ Lawrence Erlbaum Associates‚ Inc. Used with permission.
- Stalking
- violation
- threats
This instrument can be found on pages 144-147 of Measuring Intimate Partner Violence Victimization and Perpetration: A Compendium of Assessment Tools‚ available online at: http://www.cdc.gov/ncipc/pub-res/IPV_Compendium.pdf
Point values are assigned as follows:
0= Never
1= Only Once
2= 2 or 3 Times
3= 4 to 5 Times
4= Over 5 times
Items can be summed to create an overall index of perpetration. Higher scores indicate greater levels of perpetration.
Cupach WR‚ Spitzberg BH. Obsessive relational intrusion: incidence‚ perceived severity‚ and coping. Violence and Victims 2000;15:357–372.
Cupach WR‚ Spitzberg BH. The dark side of relationship pursuit: from attraction to obsession and stalking. Mahwah (NJ): Lawrence Erlbaum Associates; 2004.