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Stalking the Stalker
We all have them, even if the innocuous kinds like on Facebook.
But we thought it would be fun to stalk the stalker, by creating a profile of the different types out there.
Stalking is defined as an obsessive behaviour towards another, motivated by intense affection or extreme dislike.
The behaviour of stalkers can range from the irrational and the violent, to the flattering and overly affectionate. Most, however, do not represent physical threats, but are still usually unpredictable.
Their behaviour is outside the norms of social acceptance, which projects them as unpredictable to their targets. It is the lack of predictability of stalkers that usually sets off alarm bells of their victims, who often fear that they may instantly turn aggressively violent.
Four types of stalkers types are described below, though many stalkers have elements of more than one profile.
Erotomania
An erotomaniac has a persistent belief that they are loved by another, even if the other person does not know they exist.
Usually this bond is formed with someone of a higher social status or position of authority.
Their goal is to establish a relationship with their fantasy (we’re not sure how this is entirely distinct from groupies).
An example of an extreme erotomaniac can be seen in Tarasoff v. Regents.
Borderline Erotomania
Yes, there are moderate forms of stalkers too.
This type of erotomania is characterized by the knowledge that the victim does not love them back. They actually may have even had some sort of contact, conversation, or otherwise meaningless contact with their victim.
Their behaviour, however, can be exactly the same, and just as creepy as the regular erotomaniac.
Former Intimate Stalkers
Yes, rejection hurts.
These stalkers usually have a real romantic history with the person. So basically this is the guy/girl who got dumped and never got over it and kept going.
They don’t fantasize about a relationship with their victim, but have an unhealthy emotional attachment. They can so far as to target the spouse or partner of their victim, who may be perceived as the obstacle to their reunification.
Extreme cases can even result in double murders, such as Andre Ducarme with Sherry and Maurice Paul.
The LAPD claims that 48% of their case load are these types of stalkers. Something about those California Girls probably.
Sociopathic Stalkers
This type of stalker is so messed up that they don’t even want a relationship with their victim. Instead, they’ve created an ideal partner in their head, and find someone they can place into this ideal.
The extreme sociopathic stalker can become a serial murder or rapist, such as Charles Ng.
So now that you know what to look for, identify these stalkers and keep them out of your life.
If, that is, you even know they are watching you.
Directly based on an excerpt from an article by Bruce MacFarlane, People Who Stalk People. (1997) 31 U.B.C. L. Rev. 37-94.
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Very informative article. In fact it describes the David Caruso stalker situation perfectly. See: http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2008/04/16/arts/EU-A-E-CEL-Austria-Caruso-Stalker.php
David Caruso (star of CSI Miami), his daughter Greta along with Liza Marquez, mother of his two young children are all victims of Heidi Schnitzer, an Austrian fugitive accused of stalking and threatening to murder all three people. Schnitzer fled Austria in April 2008 to avoid prosecution on these charges. She is hiding out in Tijuana, Mexico and it is feared that she may attempt to illegally enter the U.S. to carry out her threats against Caruso.
It appears that Schnitzer was advised to leave the country to wait out the statute of limitations on criminal stalking avoiding incarceration. A court appointed psychiatrist diagnosed this woman with “profound personality disorder” capable of becoming extremely dangerous.
For photos of Schnitzer and a copy of the death threat letter please visit:
http://www.thestalkerchronicles.blogspot.com
[...] http://lawiscool.com/2008/06/23/profile-of-a-stalker/ [...]
This problem with getting stalkers under due process to restrict their behavior, is that only about 1 percent of victims are murdered. Well, as long as each reader is not a victim, they don’t give a rip and could care less it seems. My wife and I are being stalked relentlessly, and because law enforcement retaliated against us for complaining to state officials, they allowed the starker to torment us and 17 other crime victims in our community. They even set a policy in writing to allow this stalker to commit crime and not arrest him. I have this policy in writing, along with the overt examples of the crimes that were ignored, from attempts to threats of murder. Our officials did not want to give our complaints any credibility, and would not enforce our restraining orders. It is unbelievable but quite true. Eventually somebody will do something! I have filed a federal suit, and hope that will fix the situation for future victims. There are a lot of assaults from stalkers and that should be enough. Police do not want to fill crowded jails with stalkers until they kill or assault. They are immune by common law for this! See Gonzales v. Castle Rock it is terrible! I believe England is forcing people with that bizarre behavior to attend boot camps. Not a bad Idea! Their actions deprive them of Freedom through Due Process of the law, but officials are indifferent! Immunity Immunity Immunity! No skin off of their nose!
Am I allowed to publish my stalker’s letters and postcards?