Stalking
Types of Stalkers
There are three basic type of stalkers.
Simple obsessional stalkers, delusional stalkers and vengeful stalkers. There is,of course, often overlap of these basic definitions.
A simple obsessional stalker is anything but simple. They are typically the person who refuses to believe that a relationship is over, although they have been told repeatedly that it is.
Do not be misled by this type thinking they are harmlessly in love. Many of them were emotionally abusive and controlling during the relationship and many even have a criminal record unrelated to stalking.
This is the most common type of stalker.
The next type is the delusional stalker, they frequently have never had any contact with their victim beyond the boundaries of their own mind. They may suffer from mental illness like schizophrenia, bipolar disorder or erotomania. What they have in common is a false belief that keeps them tied to their victims. In erotomania, they believe that the victim loves them, even though they have never met. A good example of this is the man that stalked and killed Rebecca Schaeffer.
The last type of stalker is the vengeful stalker. They get angry at their victim due to some slight either real or imagined. We have all heard of disgruntled employees, these are vengeful stalkers and can be just as dangerous as the delusional. They stalk to get even and believe that "they" have been victimized. Ex-spouses can turn into this type of stalker and violence is all to common a result.
Cyberstalking
Cyberstalking occurs when electronic mediums such as the Internet are used to pursue, harass or contact another in an unsolicited fashion. Many stalkers are motivated by a desire to exert control over their victims.
The online user is vulnerable in primarily three areas. The areas include live chat or Internet relay chat lines (IRC), message boards or newsgroups and the users e-mail box.
Live Chat
Live chat harassment occurs when the victim is sabotaged electronically. An example is flooding the victim's Internet chat channel to disrupt their conversation.
.Message Boards:
A cyberstalker can dupe other users into harassing or threatening a victim by using message boards. For example, a cyberstalker could post a controversial or enticing message on the board under the name, phone number, or e-mail address of the victim, resulting in responses being sent to the victim.
E-Mail:
A cyberstalker may send repeated, threatening or harassing messages to the victims e-mail box.
Stalking Safety Plan
Unfortunately, there is no single psychological or behavioral profile for stalkers. Every stalker is different. This makes it virtually impossible to devise a single effective strategy for victims to cope with stalkers' behavior which can then be applied to every single situation and all circumstances. This is why it is so vital that victims of stalking create a safety plan.
Below is a link to a guideline to creating a stalking safety plan with a victim. When reviewing the safety plan guideline, keep in mind it is not intended to be a set of strict guidelines for stalking victims but rather practical information to assist them in planning during a stressful time. There is no guarantee that these strategies will ensure safety; however, implementing these strategies may reduce the odds of physical or emotional harm from the stalker.
