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.

In response to the difficulties of securing victim testimony in ‘county lines’ child criminal exploitation (CCE) cases and the inherent vulnerability of those affected, the UK police have begun to utilise evidence-based prosecution (EBP) in conjunction with Section 2 of the Modern Slavery Act 2015 (MSA), as a means of securing convictions against adult perpetrators, bypassing the need for victim involvement. Nevertheless, despite judicial and legislative endorsement of EBP, the question of whether and how far it is in fact desirable to decentre the victim in such cases remains open for debate. Certainly, whilst EBP has been associated with increased convictions in domestic violence cases in the USA, existing research indicates mixed results in respect of longer-term risks of revictimization and indeed, a successful prosecution may mean very little to a victim who remains at risk of harm. Drawing upon case study research into a high-profile ‘county lines’ case example, this presentation will critically evaluate the EBP approach, considering whether it achieves victim recognition and safeguarding, or further disempowers victims and marginalises their experiences. It will make suggestions for further research into EBP and future directions for policy and practice.

Against the backdrop of austerity-driven cuts to welfare services, a spreading cost-of-living crisis and ever deepening socio-economic inequality, the police are increasingly being called upon to tread beyond their traditional criminal justice remit and respond to vulnerable citizens. While this dynamic has been widely studied within criminological scholarship, there have been very few place-based studies which allow for in depth examination of how these processes play out on the ground and take on local geographical idiosyncrasies. With this in mind, the paper presents findings from a place-based study of Bradford, utilising a whole systems approach which locates the police in a complex web of public, private and third sector agencies all striving to address vulnerability in complementary and contradictory ways. Bradford is a multicultural and diverse city which has recently been named City of Culture for 2025. It is also characterised by significant challenges around multiple deprivations, educational attainment, employment, violence and crime. We identified three areas of Bradford in which to conduct deep dive case studies exploring local challenges, multi-agency responses to vulnerability and police partnership working. We will present findings from two of these, highlighting the impact of localised population vulnerabilities on partnership formation and sustainability, the power and limitations of local community organisations, and future opportunities and challenges.