Stalking Overview
Stalkers can be young or old, male or female, professional or unemployed. But most are men who are isolated, socially inept, and often mentally ill. The crime can be motivated by different types of psychopathology, including psychosis and severe personality disorders, and stalkers pursue their victims for a variety of reasons, but all tend to have a narcissistic sense of entitlement to the victim.
Stalking-Related Articles Include:
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.
Stalkers can have a variety of backgrounds, motivations and mental illnesses. Still, attempts at classification can be useful in helping victims protect themselves. This article describes the five types of stalkers categorized by Dr. Paul Mullen, including The Rejected Suitor, The Intimacy Seeker, The Incompetent Suitor, The Resentful Stalker, and The Predatory Stalker.
How does the legal system protect us from stalkers? Learn the basics from this overview of US anti-stalking acts and find resources for stalking victims. This article covers basic information on the origin of anti-stalking laws, the federal stalking model, federal stalking laws and resources for victims of stalking.
Published in 1998, the National Violence Against Women (NVAW) Survey, was the first national study of stalking. Data was collected via telephone surveys of 8,000 U.S. women and 8,000 U.S. men, during which respondents were asked detailed questions about their experiences with violence, including stalking. The contemporary nature of anti-stalking law means that data on stalking behavior is still limited. What have we learned about stalkers since the pioneering NVAW survey?
A 2007 study in the journal Violence and Victims compared coeds' assessment of personality traits of those they perceived as stalkers and of partners of a 'normal' relationship. The results revealed an association between the largely subcriminal stalking behavior and histrionic and borderline personality types.
More information from the 2007 stalking research by Spitzberg and Vesler. This Suite101 article describes the reported incidence and type of stalking revealed by the study, subjects' perception of stalking versus actual staking law, as well as comparing the traits of unwelcome pursuers to those of relationship partners.
Anti-Stalking Resources
This article is a summary of merely a fraction of the information available on stalking. There are many resources available to assist and protect stalking victims, including Psychology Prof Online and the National Center for Victims of Crime (800) 394-2255.
Additional Sources
Douglas, J, and Olshaker, M. Obsession. Published by Scribner (1998)
Jordan et al. (2003). Stalking: An Examination of the Criminal Justice Response. Journal of Interpersonal Violence, 18, 2.
Rosenfeld, B. (2003). Recidivism in Stalking and Obsessional Harassment. Law and Human Behavior 27, 3.
Spitzberg, B., Veksler, A. (2007) The Personality of Pursuit: Personality Attributions of Unwanted Pursuers and Stalkers. Violence and Victims, 22, 3.
Tjaden, Patricia and Nancy Thoennes. (1998). Stalking in America: Findings from the National Violence Against Women Survey. Washington, DC: National Institute of Justice, U.S. Department of Justice.
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