Stalking is a crime that tends to be overlooked when it’s one of the most significant crimes in the world! To raise awareness and educate more people on this issue, this article will discuss everything you need to know about stalking and stalkers.
Stalking epidemic
It’s not your typical “stalking my ex on Instagram.” In the world of crime, stalking is the act of harassment that happens repetitively. Examples of stalking are stalkers spam calling their victim or victim’s family members, secretly the following someone, repeatedly sending unwanted gifts, hacking on the victim’s camera to stalk, using technology to track the victim’s whereabouts, and many more. These acts can be done with or without the victim’s knowledge. With how high-tech technology is these days, cyberstalking just gets more intense and keeps increasing. Did you know that stalking cases can go up to more than 20 years? Stalkers are putting their dedication in the wrong places.
According to 2019 data by BJS, “about 1.3% (3.4 million) of all persons age 16 or older were victims of stalking, and an there’s an estimation of 67% of victims of both traditional stalking and cyberstalking were fearful of being killed or physically harmed.” Other reports also showed that more than 50% of stalking victims end up getting murdered. The craziest thing is most stalkers don’t stalk strangers but their loved ones like ex-girlfriends or family members. It makes you think twice when trusting your friends or even your family members.
The Psychology of Stalking
Have you ever wondered? What goes through a stalker’s mind to the point where they could validate their negative thoughts and execute them? One good example is Netflix’s “You” series. Although, the series got some hate for romanticizing stalkers. But, the series could provide you insight into how someone could just go through these brain turmoils to justify what they feel and what they’re doing (stalking). Sources say that stalkers usually have some form of personality disorder and mental illness, but most of their personality disorder is usually more dominant. Some personality disorders stalkers have are narcissistic personality disorder and antisocial disorders.
There is no perfect equation to how a stalker acts. Some stalkers are aggressive and aren’t afraid to let their victims know that they are being stalked. Some stalkers are quiet, secretly planning on how to eventually murder their victims. Here are some of the reasons why stalkers stalk, according to this study:
Rejection
Most commonly seen in stalker cases and other crimes, stalking and harassment due to rejection can happen not only in romantic relationships but in friendships and family. Stalkers will usually harass their victims to get them back or just try to make them miserable for revenge (if I can’t get them, then no one can kind of thing).
Resentment
Whether true or not, resentment stalkers stalk because they believe they’ve been humiliated or experienced injustice like getting bullied or fired. An example found in a study is “a man who stalked the doctor who he believed failed to diagnose his wife for cancer.”
Predatory (sexual)
Stalking is a gender-neutral crime, but studies found that predatory stalkers tend to be men. Predatory stalkers crave and want to be in power over someone, getting sexual satisfaction through voyeurism or assault. Even though the reason for this kind of stalking is sexual, predatory stalkers get the most satisfaction from the feeling of power and seeing their victims in pain and submissive.
Intimacy seekers
Celebrities are prone to this kind of stalker. Intimacy seeker stalkers believe that they could have a relationship with their victim and the victim is their true love. Intimacy seeker stalking cases are frequently found in South Korea, where fans tend to be super protective and obsessive over their idols (K-Pop Idols). It’s so extreme to the point that the stalkers will track their idol’s schedule and even try to be on the same flight as them, along with sending gifts, love letters, and death threats.
Incompetent
An incompetent stalker is somewhat a combination of predatory and intimacy seeker stalker. According to the study, incompetent seekers seek love and lust just temporarily, as intimacy seekers seek a legit relationship. Incompetent stalkers usually target strangers, and they stalk for a short period.
Conclusion
In most states, stalking is so bad that it has become an epidemic. Especially with technology these days, authorities have reported a vast rise in cyberstalking. Unfortunately, stalking is one of those crimes that tend to be acted on when it’s already too late. Although there is no single profile for stalkers, there are four different types of stalkers. In general, stalkers come from a place of jealousy, delusion, and anger. It’s important not to overlook stalking and create better laws globally to prevent more stalking victims in the future. Stalking is scary as most stalkers tend to be close to the victims, making all of us have a possibility of being a stalking victim. Protect your privacy, be careful of who you trust, and always be cautious of your surroundings.
Who is most at risk of stalking
Women adults between 18 to 30 years old are most prone to stalking.
Is stalking a mental illness?
No. Although, some stalkers have mental illnesses, which cause them to do such acts.
