The paradigm of consent and stalking

British legislation concerning the criminal act of stalking has traditionally been inadequate to effectively address the problem and provide real-world resolution for victims. The research here proposes the need to create contemporary conversations around issues of consent in British law regarding the malevolent interpersonal act of stalking. Highlighting the attrition of stalking convictions, and proposing attrition is largely due to the combination of criminal and innocuous perpetrator behaviours, perceptions in society and within the Criminal Justice Systems (CJS) in the UK. The research presented draws upon on a selected sample of a larger UK cross-sectional web-based survey with participant responses, conducted in 2023. Findings revealed a relationship with stereotypes in the manner of social bias and norms that impact a victim’s acknowledgment of the crime, and responses received following disclosure. Concluding research highlights the need for policy and legislative changes that reflect the unwanted (non-consented) elements of stalking by comparing this paradigm with current legislation, social contract theory, feminist perspectives, cyber and sexual crimes. The purpose of the article is to call for future research on consent in the paradigm of stalking, and to inform policy makers, law makers and educational awareness projects, with a view to shift societal attitudes toward the crime of stalking and consent which will ultimately improve outcomes for stalking victim-survivors.