Project Safe | Stalking

Myths

Stalking Behaviors

Types of Stalkers

Stalking

Stalking creeps into a victim’s life. Too often, by the time anyone begins paying serious attention to the stalker, he has already escalated to dangerous behaviors. Myths tend to minimize the seriousness of stalking behavior and it is important to know the difference between the myths and the facts.

Myth: Stalking is not a problem on college campuses.
Fact: Research indicates that between one-quarter and one-third of college students have been stalked.

Myth: Stalkers are mostly harmless.
Fact: There are cases of stalking that last for years and never turn violent and others that turn deadly quickly. The cases that seem harmless may be the most deadly.

Myth: If a stalking victim has not been threatened, she is likely in no danger.
Fact: Study after study indicates that whether or not a stalker makes a threat has no bearing on whether or not he poses a threat. Any threat should be taken seriously, but there are other indicators that cannot be ignored when assessing a stalker’s potential for violence.

Myth: Stalking is no big deal and doesn’t really impact the life of a stalking victim.
Fact: 25-30% of stalking victims sought psychological counseling as a result of their victimization. The average stalking cases last 1.8 years, and nearly one fifth of the victims are so fearful, they move to new homes to escape their stalkers.

Stalking behaviors include, but are not limited to, the following:

Non-consensual communication, including face-to-face, telephone calls, voice messages, electronic mail, written letters, unwanted gifts, etc.
Threatening or obscene gestures
Pursuing or following
Surveillance or other types of observation
Trespassing
Vandalism
Non-consensual touching

Types of Stalkers:
(The following information was taken from the CalCASA Campus Stalking Information Packet)

Nearly 90% of stalkers are male. Most stalkers know their victims (75% of whom are female); 60% are current or former intimate partners (Tjaden, 1998). Male victims tend to be stalked by strangers and acquaintances rather than intimates. Most stalkers are late teens to middle-aged. Most have above-average intelligence. They come from every socio-economic background. Many stalkers are anti-social, manipulative, deceptive, obsessive-compulsive, and have a history of failed relationships. Historically, psychologists have divided stalkers into three broad categories, based on the apparent motivation of the stalker. These categories are:

Love Obsession – This type of stalker develops a fixation on another person with whom they have no personal relationship. The target may be a casual acquaintance or even a complete stranger. Stalkers who ‘fall in love’ with a student in their class or a professor fall into this category. These stalkers seem to want to live out a fantasy with their victims.
Erotomania – This type of stalker holds a delusional belief (a paranoid disorder) that they are being loved by their target, even if it is not expressed. The target is often a well-known person, such as a student-leader or acclaimed athlete
Simple Obsession – This type of stalker has some previous or current personal or romantic relationship with the victim. These include all domestic violence cases, as well as intimate and casual dating relationships, co-workers, and casual friends. Rejection often triggers this type of stalking. Stalkers turn to threats and violence as a means of reestablishing control of the victim.

It is important to note that these are clinical classifications of stalkers. In addition to the clinical classifications, stalkers also may be classified based on their relationship with the victim.
Intimate or former intimate stalking – The stalker and victim may be married or divorced, current or former cohabitants, serious or casual sexual partners, or former sexual partners. A history of domestic violence may exist.
Acquaintance stalking – The stalker and victim may know each other casually, either through formal or informal contact. For example, they may be co-workers or neighbors, or they may have dated once or twice but were not sexual partners.
Stranger stalking – The stalker and victim do not know each other at all. Cases involving celebrities and other public figures generally fall into this category.

If someone you know is being stalked, ithey can visit www.lovemenot.org for more information. They are also welcome to come to the Project Safe office for help in developing a comprehensive safety plan.

For more information about Project Safe, call Vicky Basra at 322-1333

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