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Stalking Harassment Behavior

What You Need to Know About This Crime of Obsession

© Tami Port

Aug 21, 2007
Protect yourself from stalking., tonganuso801_photobucket
When most of us think "stalking," it's the well-publicized incidents involving celebrities that come to mind, but you don't need to be famous to be a stalker's fixation.

What Is Stalking?

Stalking is a crime of obsession, and is often associated with different types of psychopathology, including psychosis and severe personality disorders. Depending on the stalker, behavior may range from overtly aggressive threats and actions, to repeated phone calls, letters or approaches. Stalking harassment may go on for years, causing the victim to exist in a constant state of stress and fear. The violent aspects of stalking behavior often escalate over time, and in extreme cases, can end in murder (Douglas 1998).

Stalking Behavior

There are anti-stalking laws in place, both federal and state, designed to protect victims of stalkers. Under these laws, perpetrators can be charged with stalking for repeatedly:

  • Following or appearing within the sight of another.
  • Approaching or confronting another individual in a public or private place.
  • Appearing at the work place or residence of another.
  • Entering or remaining on an individual's property.
  • Contacting a person by telephone.
  • Sending postal mail or e-mail to another.

Stalking Danger

Too often victims do not fully appreciate the true danger of being stalked, and this can be a fatal mistake. If you feel uncomfortable with the repeated advances, gifts or communications of an “admirer,” trust your instincts, and always err or the side of caution. All stalking is a crime and all stalkers should be considered dangerous (Douglas 1998).

David Beatty, Executive Director of Justice Solutions, Inc. and former Director of Public Policy for the National Victim Center, observes that stalking, “is one of the rare opportunities where a potential murderer raises his hand and says ‘I’m gonna be killing somebody.’ Stalking provides an opportunity to intervene in what seems to be, in many cases, an inevitable escalation towards violence and murder.”

Evidence of Stalking

Every situation is different. There are different types of stalkers and no set guidelines, so each victim must use his or her own judgment as to what actions to take. But don’t go it alone. Seek support from your friends and family. Whether or not you plan to file formal charges, report the harassment to your local law enforcement agency. It is important to build your case against the stalker by providing the police with records of the stalker's behavior towards you (Kamphus, 2000), including any or all of the following:

  1. Keep a diary or a log of the stalker's attempted interactions with you, noting the time, place, verbal or written communication, gifts, and sightings.
  2. Save all voice mail and email messages left by the offender.
  3. If you can do so safely, obtain a photo or videotape of the stalker.
  4. Collect other identifying information, such as license plate number, model and make of car, and a description of the stalker’s appearance.

Protect Yourself from Stalkers

Unfortunately it is always the victim who is initially penalized in a case of stalking; and the penalty is persistent stress and fear, as well as the inconvenience of having to make significant changes to your daily routine for the purpose of increasing safety. The Stalking Resource Center suggests that the following precautions are important to take if you are being targeted:

  • Travel with friends and do not walk alone.
  • Change your telephone number to an unlisted number.
  • Vary the times and routes you take to work or to frequently visited places.
  • Notify your family and friends, and explain the situation to your employer so that they may protect you at work. Provide them with a photograph or description of your stalker.

Anti-Stalking Support

This article is a summary of merely a fraction of the information available on stalking. Become familiar with federal and state stalking laws, stalking statistics, and the many resources available to assist and protect stalking victims, such as the National Center for Victims of Crime (800) 394-2255 and the Stalking Resource Center.

Additional Stalking Resources

Kamphus, J. H. and P.M.G. Emmelcamp, P. M. G. Stalking — a contemporary challenge for forensic and clinical psychiatry. The British Journal of Psychiatry (2000) 176

Douglas, J, and Olshaker, M. Obsession. Published by Scribner (1998)


The copyright of the article Stalking Harassment Behavior in Personality Disorders is owned by Tami Port. Permission to republish Stalking Harassment Behavior in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.


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Comments
Feb 13, 2009 2:06 PM
Guest :
Please let potential stalking victim's know disconnecting one's phone is a real Catch 22. If a stalker loses his means of contacting you, it can often cause the behavior to escalate: If he can't contact you by phone, he'll seek another way. If you can afford it, hook up another phone line, but keep your original hooked up with an answering machine and caller ID to collect any evidence of stalking activity.
Mar 7, 2009 5:59 PM
Guest :
When I first met my daughter's stalker, he seemed nice enough, but just a little TOO nice. Having a history of abuse, I'm often wary of something being not quite right with a guy. Within a couple of weeks of their friendship, I told her he was going to be a stalker. It was difficult for her to see it because he always brought gifts or flowers or candies. After she began to see it and tried to end the relationship, it got worse, as is often the case. She would leave for work in the morning, finding a gift on her steps he had delivered in the night. He called and showed up often, and always uninvited. This went on for more than a year. It was difficult for her to report him to the police, because he had done nothing violent or threatening; still he was causing her to lose sleep, be worried about him following her, showing up at her workplace. Even though he had done nothing violent still, she eventually got an anti-harassment order to make him stop, which he did not. Even when she called the police and they told him to stay away or he would Fortunately the company he worked for relocated and he had to move away. I have no doubt that he is stalking someone else where he is now. I really worried about how far he would go if he was still here. So a warning: don't be fooled by someone who is just really really nice. There can truly be a wolf in sheep's clothing.
Mar 31, 2009 10:24 AM
Guest :
my daughter broke up with her boyfriend of 6 mos. over 3 months ago. since then he has been constantly harrassing her. first it was just on her phone, then he started getting his friends involved in harrassing her, then he found girls at her school that did'nt like her to harrass her, even though he doesn't go to her school. he continues to stalk her my space even though she deleted him and blocked him. he was even able to convince her now ex-best friend to be his friend now. now he's showing up with this person at my daughters social functions, he won't leave her alone. the police in our city said there's nothing we can do because he hasn't really done anything. but i'm afraid at this rate it will escalate into something more. from everything i've read about stalkers he fits the profile to a t.
3 Comments
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