1. Unwanted Pursuit Behavior After Breakup: Occurrence, Risk Factors, and Gender Differences.
- Author
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De Smet, Olivia, Uzieblo, Kasia, Loeys, Tom, Buysse, Ann, and Onraedt, Thomas
- Subjects
PREVENTION of stalking ,ATTACHMENT behavior ,CONFIDENCE intervals ,STATISTICAL correlation ,EMPATHY ,HETEROSEXUALS ,INTIMACY (Psychology) ,NONPARAMETRIC statistics ,PERSONALITY ,PSYCHOLOGICAL tests ,PSYCHOTHERAPY ,QUESTIONNAIRES ,REGRESSION analysis ,STATISTICAL sampling ,SCALE analysis (Psychology) ,SELF-evaluation ,SEX distribution ,STALKING ,STATISTICS ,DATA analysis ,LGBTQ+ people ,RELATIVE medical risk ,CROSS-sectional method ,DESCRIPTIVE statistics ,ODDS ratio ,MANN Whitney U Test - Abstract
This study investigated unwanted pursuit behavior (UPB) perpetration in 631 adult ex-partners. UPB involves the unwanted pursuit of intimacy, a widespread and usually less severe form of stalking. The occurrence and various risk factors of UPB perpetration were examined, accounting for differences between male and female ex-partners and same- and opposite-gender ex-partners. Ex-partners showed on average five to six UPBs after their separation. Male and female and same- and opposite-gender ex-partners displayed an equal number of UPBs. The number of perpetrated UPBs was explained by breakup characteristics (ex-partner initiation of the breakup and rumination or cognitive preoccupation with the ex-partner), relationship characteristics (anxious attachment in the former relationship), and individual perpetrator characteristics (borderline traits and past delinquent behaviors). Rumination was a stronger predictor in female than male ex-partners. Borderline traits and anxious attachment positively predicted UPB perpetration in opposite-gender but not in same-gender ex-partners. Implications of these findings are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2015
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