Facts about Stalking
Who Are Stalkers?Stalkers can be strangers, acquaintances, classmates, co-workers, ex-boyfriends or ex-girlfriends, or any other person. Both men and women can be stalked, but 87% of stalkers are male. There are five types of stalkers:
- The Rejected: As a result of a breakup, this stalker acts out of the desire to mend a relationship and desperation to continue contact.
- The Resentful: The stalker may be a former friend or partner or an acquaintance. The goal of the stalker is to frighten and distress the victim because of feelings of injustice and desire for revenge.
- The Incompetent: These people want intimacy, but the victim is not interested. They lack sufficient skills in appropriate courtship behavior.
- The Predatory: The power and control that comes from stalking gives this individual a great deal of enjoyment. This type is only common at the end of an abusive relationship.
- The Intimacy Seeker: This type is the most highly publicized, but the least common. The stalker typically suffers from a mental illness or holds morbid infatuation with someone, often a celebrity. They view the victim as their “true love” and feel entitled to contact him or her.
There is a strong link between stalking and other forms of violence in intimate relationships.
Of women who were stalked by a current or former husband or co-habiting partner, 81% were also physically assaulted by that partner and 31 percent were also sexually assaulted by the same partner. (U.S. Department of Justice, Stalking in America: Findings From the National Violence Against Women Survey, April 1998.) In one year, more than 13% of college women indicated that they had been stalked. Of these women, 42% had been stalked by a boyfriend or ex-boyfriend. (Fisher and Cullen, 2000)
Where to Get Help
Reporting an Incident
How to Help a Friend