Assertive Community Treatment or Therapeutic Stalking

1
Assertive Community Treatment or Therapeutic
Stalking?

• Geoff Speight Ian Denoul
• Division of Mental Health
• Department of Nursing
• University of Central Lancashire.

2
Stalking

• England Wales implemented anti-stalking
  legislation in 1997
• Increase in public concern
• Media attention
• Celebrity stalking cases

3
Stalking

• It was accepted that stalking was a serious
  social problem in England Wales.
• Clear justification for criminalizing this type
  of behaviour.
• However there is no legal description of
  stalking.
• No accepted definition.

4
Protection from Harassment Act 1997

• The suspect has pursued a course of conduct
• ( a course of conduct must involve conduct on at
  least 2 occasions) Conduct is not limited to
  action but includes speech.
• This amounts to harassment of another (the act
  does not fully define harassment, but states that
  references to harassing a person include alarming
  or causing them distress its effects on the
  victim determine whether a course of conduct
  amounts to harassment.

5
Protection from Harassment Act 1997

• The suspect knows or ought to know that this is
  so.
• The offence of causing harassment is unusual in
  that it is not always necessary to prove that a
  person actually knew the conduct amounted to
  harassment.

6
Overbearing/courtship Behaviours

• Engaging the target as a stranger in an
  unsolicited conversation in a public place
• Offering to buy the target a drink
• Outstaying ones welcome in the targets home
• Talking about the target to mutual friends after
  meeting them just once
• Telephoning the target after one meeting
• Repeatedly approaching the target
• Being seen in the same place each week
• Making arrangements including the target without
  consulting first
• Trying to become acquainted with the targets
  friends/relatives
• Making unsolicited offers of help

7
Actual stalking behaviours

• Sending the target unwanted notes/letters
• Coming around to visit, uninvited on a regular
  basis
• Refusing to accept that a prior relationship is
  over
• Constantly watching or spying on target
  persistently driving past targets house
• Loitering in areas the target frequents
• Making threats
• Sheridan et al 2001

8
Assertive Community Treatment

• Have a discrete MDT team with dedicated
  psychiatrist time
• Primary Provider of services
• Staff/Client ratio !10
• Offer extended hours
• Continuous long term service
• Offer evidence based treatments
• (MHPIG. DoH 2001)

9
Assertive Community Treatment

• Clients referred those who do not engage with
  services
• Engagement is a crucial component of therapeutic
  work
• High staff client ratio
• High intensity service
• No drop out policy
• Interaction with client in a range of settings,
  house, café, shops

10
Stalking behaviour Assertive outreach
activity activity

• Sending the target unwanted notes/letters
• Coming around to visit, uninvited on a regular
  basis
• Refusing to accept that a prior relationship is
  over
• Constantly watching or spying on target
  persistently driving past targets house
• Loitering in areas the target frequents
• Making threats

• Repeatedly phoning or visiting client after being
  asked not to do so
• Reporting seeing client in town etc.
• Checking through window, post
• Expecting client attends CPA review irrespective
  of their wish
• Eliciting information on client from relatives,
  neighbours, G.P, housing
• Drawing attention to client by visiting routinely
• Threats of sanction for non compliance

11
Consider

• The Criminal Justice Act 2003 appears to have a
  preference for non custodial site of residence.
• ASBOs
• Electronic tagging
• Intermittent custody.

12
References

• Burns,T Firn,M.(2002) Assertive outreach in
  mental health.Oxford university press
• Mullen,P Pathe,M Purcell,R (2000) Stalkingnew
  constructions of human behaviour. AustralianNew
  Zealand Journ. of Psychiatry 359-16
• Sheridan,L Davies,G Boon,J (2001) journ of
  Interpersonal Violence 16,2 151-167