Every step you take, every move you make….I’ll be watching you. Oh, can't you see, you belong to me…” How my poor heart aches with every step you take. (Lyrics by The Police)
Stalking is conservatively defined as "a course of conduct directed at a specific person that involves repeated (two or more occasions) visual or physical proximity, nonconsensual communication, or verbal, written, or implied threats, or a combination thereof, that would cause a reasonable person fear."
The Facts:
- 7.5 million people were stalked in one year in the U.S.
- 15% of women and 6% of men have experienced stalking victimization at some point during their lifetime in which they felt very fearful or believed that they or someone close to them would be harmed or killed.
- Of those, 61% of female victims and 44% of male victims were stalked by a current or former intimate partner
- Approximately 30% of stalking victims believe that their stalkers will never stop.
- 43% of stalkers have threatened victims.
- 16% damaged victims' properties attacked victims.
- Additionally, over 20% of stalkers attacked their victims or victims' friends, family, pets, or other acquaintances.
- 76% of women killed by their intimate partners were stalked by their partners beforehand.
- Only 40% of stalking victims report to law enforcement.
Stalkers have been profiled based on behaviors, motivations, and relationships with their victims. Several sub-types have been identified.
The Simple Obsessional Stalker
The most common form of stalking is simple obsessional. These types of stalkers are also called rejected or resentful stalkers. The victim of the simple obsessional stalker usually knows her stalker well and was in some form of relationship with her, an ex-spouse, ex-lover, friend, former boss, or co-worker. The obsessional activities begin after the relationship has ended or is headed for termination. The stalker often perceives that he was wronged by the victim. While reconciliation is the goal, this stalker believes they must have a specific person back or they will not survive. When persuasi fails retaliation behaviors ensue. Virtually all domestic violence cases involving stalking fall under this category.
The Love Obsessional Stalker
The love obsessional stalker is a stranger to, or casual acquaintance of, the victim. The stalker develops a love obsession or fixation on another person with whom they have had no personal relationship. Not only does the love obsessional stalker attempt to live out his fantasies, he expects the victim to play an assigned role of loving them back with adoration and devotion. Initially the love obsessional stalker's motivation is to make the victim aware of his existence. Later he expects them to reciprocate his feelings. When the stalker fails to establish the relationship he begins to harass the victim; subsequent behavior tends to escalate.
The Erotomanic Stalker
Erotomania is a delusion in which the stalker believes the individual of his obsessive love, actually loves him back. He is convinced that the object of this love would readily return the stalker's affection, but is not able to because of some external influence. This delusion is based on a belief that the victim is the perfect match for them and that they are destined to be together forever. Erotomania frequently is not based on a sexual attraction. The erotomanic stalker fantasizes more about a romantic love and/or a spiritual union. The victim is usually of a higher status than the stalker. Efforts to contact the victim are common, but erotomanic stalkers may keep the delusion a secret. They study their victims, often from afar. They are commonly referred to as celebrity stalkers or obsessed fans.
The Predatory Stalker
Predatory stalking is the rarest, yet most criminally motivated, form of stalking. This type of stalker stalks their victim as part of a plan to attack them, usually sexually. The predatory stalker usually does not harass or try to contact their survivor while they are stalking; however they often engage in other disturbing behaviors; surveillance of the survivor, obscene phone calls, exhibitionism, fetishism, and voyeurism. While all stalkers have the potential for violence few actually commit it, predatory stalkers are the exception; they. should be considered especially dangerous. Their stalking behavior is merely a rehearsal for the stalker's violent sexual fantasies and a partial satisfaction of voyeuristic and sadistic desires. Making it simple: predatory stalkers are invariably psychopaths.
Stalking and the Mentally Ill
Stalking is a behavior; not a mental disorder. While all stalkers clearly have obsessional tendencies (they maintain persistent thoughts and ideas about their victims, for years, even decades); only about 50% meet the criteria for any other specific or serious psychiatric disorder. Nonetheless, some of the most extreme, dangerous and violent stalkers are those fueled by a mental illness. Primary diagnoses for mentally ill stalkers include schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, or a delusional disorder. Additionally, many stalkers have concurrent personality disorders which increase the potential for violence against a victim. Substance abuse is also contributing risk factors. As a rule of thumb, the less of a relationship that actually existed between the victim and stalker prior to the stalking, the more mentally disturbed the stalker is.
Psychotic/Delusional Stalkers
Delusional stalkers cannot separate fact from fiction. Even an imaginary love is better than no love at all. All delusional stalkers hold onto a fixed false belief that keeps them bonded to their victims. The core of their obsession is based on fantasy; what they cannot attain in reality is achieved through this fantasy. When they attempt to act out this fantasy in real life, they expect the victim to return the affection. When no affection is returned, the stalker often reacts with threats and intimidation. When the threats and intimidation don't accomplish what they hoped, the stalker can become violent and even homicidal. What makes the delusional stalker increasingly dangerous is his tendency to objectify his victims. He views his victim not as a human being, but as an object that he alone must possess and control. Delusional stalkers are the most tenacious type of stalkers, with delusions lasting an average of ten years.
The typical profile of delusional stalkers is that of a single, socially immature loner, who has been unable to establish or sustain close relationships with others. Delusional stalkers rarely date and have had few, if any, sexual relationships. They usually come from an emotionally barren or severely abusive childhood. These individuals have a very poor sense of their own identity.
The common victim of the delusional stalker is most frequently a person of a higher socio-economic class/status who has had little, if any, previous contact with the stalker. Yet, the stalker believes that he already has a close bond with the victim, or convinced they will in the future. Delusional stalkers choose victims who are unattainable in some way; the victim may be already involved in a relationship; frequently it is someone who has been kind to them; a therapist, clergyman, doctor, work supervisor, teacher, or even the police officer who stopped them for a traffic violation but did not cite them. Those in helping professions are particularly vulnerable to delusional stalkers. The professional may have been the only person who has ever treated the stalker with warmth. The stalker, who already has difficulty separating reality from fantasy, construes the helper's compassion into a delusion of intimacy.
Celebrities and politicians are frequent victims of the delusional stalker. The stalker usually becomes aware of their victim through the media (cinema, television, radio, newspapers). He studies the object of their attention, collects articles, movies, and/or memorabilia related to their victim. He establishes a comprehensive delusional fantasy in which they have a special or unique, even mystical, relationship with the victim, even if they have never met. The stalker believes the victim is communicating with him or her telepathically or by using a secret code that only they know the meaning of. Any contact the victim has with the stalker becomes a positive reinforcement of a relationship. Any type of response by the victim is seen as an invitation to continue the stalker's pursuit. When the object of the stalker's attention says "no," he rationalizes their intent away and may then focus of the perceived situation or person the stalker believes is standing in the way of a relationship. "Her husband made her get that restraining order, she really loves me, he is the problem," or "His agent told him it would be bad for his career if we were involved, but he really loves me, that agent better stay out of it.." Infamous erotomanic stalkers include; Robert John Bardo, who killed actress Rebecca Schaeffer, and Margaret Ray, who stalked David Letterman, Ray later committed suicide.
Additionally, paranoia may make the delusional stalker act aggressively towards a third party. They may believe there is a conspiracy to keep their love objects away from them. If they can eliminate the intrusive third party, they believe they will protect the object of their desire, and consummate the fantasy relationship. Paranoid stalkers frequently come into contact with law enforcement during misguided pursuits to rescue the individual from someone or some imagined danger.
It is imperative that victims of the delusional, psychotic, or paranoid stalker have absolutely no contact with the suspect. Not only will attempts to appease or ignore the stalker not work, they may add fuel to the stalker's obsessional delusions. Restraining and protective orders against the delusional stalker, though important and occasionally helpful, frequently don't work and may further escalate the stalking. The stalkers' belief that they and their victim are destined to be together commonly overrides any fear they may have of the legal consequences of violating a TRO.
Threat Assessment for Violence in Stalkers
When a stalker is identified it is essential to determine the stalker's potential for violence including homicidal and suicidal capabilities. Early identification of the violent stalker can facilitate appropriate criminal and/or psychiatric intervention.
The Three Strongest Predictors of Violence by a Stalker
- History of substance abuse
- History of previous violence.
- History of mental illness.
Additional Characteristics of a Potentially Violent Stalker
- Access to the victim or the victim's family
- Possession of weapons
- Present or past threats to kill the victim or others
- A disregard for the consequences of violating protection orders
- Previous history of stalking
- Past instances of hostage taking
- Suicidal tendencies
- High degree of obsession, possessiveness, or jealousy
- Perceived anniversary dates
Stalking is a crime under the laws of 50 states, the District of Columbia, the U.S. Territories, and the Federal government. Less than 1/3 of states classify stalking as a felony upon first offense. More than 1/2 of states classify stalking as a felony upon second or subsequent offense or when the crime involves aggravating factors. Aggravating factors may include: possession of a deadly weapon, violation of a court order or condition of probation. Larger, metropolitan law enforcement agencies frequently have anti-stalking task forces to investigate and handle stalking cases. If the suspect is determined to be severely mentally ill, he/she may be involuntarily committed to a psychiatric hospital for a 72 hour evaluation as a danger to others, or ordered by the court to obtain outpatient mental health treatment. If the stalker has a treatable psychiatric disorder, he/she may benefit from psychotropic medications or therapy. However, truly psychopathic stalkers and deviant predators should get their “treatment” in jail or prison.
