Stalkers - A General Profile

There are various types of stalking and it is motivated by a number of different factors. An estimated 16% of women and 7% of men are the victims of stalking during their lifetime.

Stalking frequently arises out of intimate relationships and often involves individuals previously close to the victim, but not in all cases.

Sheridan and Davies (2011) define Stalking as:

‘A form of predatory behaviour that is characterised by repeated patterns of harassment of a particular individual which may frighten the victim or worse.’

Moreover, Meloy and Gothard define stalking, or as they prefer to call it, obsessional following:

‘abnormal or long-term pattern of threat or harassment directed towards a specific individual’. This pattern was later clarified as being ‘more than one overt act of unwanted pursuit of the victim that’s was perceived by the victim as being harassing.’

Further on, Pathe and Mullen (1997) characterised stalking as

‘a constellation of behaviours in which one individual inflicts on another repeated, unwanted intrusions and communications’ further characterised as ‘following, loitering nearby, maintaining surveillance and making approaches and communications via email, letters, telephone, graffiti or notes attached, for example on the…