What IS STALKING?

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stalking

Stalking is unwanted or obsessive attention by an individual or group toward another person.

Stalking behaviors are related to harassment and intimidation and may include following the victim in person or monitoring them.

According to a 2002 report by the National Center for Victims of Crime, "Virtually any unwanted contact between two people [that intends] to directly or indirectly communicates a threat or places the victim in fear can be considered stalking"

People characterized as stalkers may be accused of having a mistaken belief that another person loves them (erotomania), or that they need rescuing.

Stalking can sometimes consist of an accumulation of a series of actions which in themselves can be legal, such as calling on the phone, sending gifts, or sending emails.

Forms of Stalking

esia.net/Forms_of_Stalking.htm

Simple Obsession Stalkers:

These stalkers have previously been involved in an intimate relationship with their victims.

Often the victim has attempted to call off the relationship but the stalker simply refuses to accept it.

These stalkers suffer from personality disorders, including being emotionally immature, extremely jealous, insecure, have low self-esteem and quite often feel powerless without the relationship.

Love Obsession Stalkers:

These are individuals who become obsessed with or fixed on a person with whom they have had no intimate or close relationship.

The victim may be a friend, a business acquaintance, a person met only once, or even a complete stranger.

Other Stalkers:

Some stalkers harass their victim not out of love but out of hate.

Occasionally, stalking becomes a method of revenge for some misdeed against the stalker, real or imagined.

Intimate Partner Stalkers:

Once the relationship ends, this group of stalkers, fearing they will lose their identity and self-worth, often become desperate to re-establish the dominance and control they wielded during the relationship.

If they find this isn't possible they can become suicidal, homicidal or both.

Casual Acquaintance Stalker:

Stalking does not have to involve an intimate relationship.

The relationship can be as minor as a casual interaction, such as a momentary conversation, a quick lunch together in a crowded restaurant, or a smile across a room. These can all be interpreted as a romantic encounter by a potential stalker.

A large number of people every year become stalking victims because they felt sorry for someone and showed him or her compassion.

Befriending or even just being polite to a potential stalker can be exceedingly dangerous. Stalkers often see any acts of kindness as a sign of the true love that they are convinced exists between them and their victims.

Stranger Stalking:

While being stalked by someone with whom the victim has had an intimate relationship, or by someone known to the victim who has perhaps attempted unsuccessfully to establish an intimate relationship, is frightening enough, at least the victim knows who the stalker is, what he or she is capable of, and what to likely expect.

Because the stalker is unknown to them, the stalking takes on a much more frightening feeling. Because the stalker is unknown to the victim, the victim has no idea who to be on the lookout for, who to be careful of or around, and who to speak to and who to avoid.

Delusional Stalkers:

They may have major mental illnesses like schizophrenia, manic-depression or erotomania.

What they all have in common is some false belief that keeps them tied to their victims.

Frequently they have had little, if any contact with their victims.

Serial Stalkers:

Although many victims of stalking may feel that their stalkers have chosen them because they represent something unique and desirable, and that the stalker is fixated on and possessed with only them, this often isn't the case.

Detectives often find that if a complete background investigation is made into the stalkers past there are often other cases of prior stalkings.

False Stalking / False Victims:

False victims, as they are sometimes known, use a variety of situations to attract attention to themselves.

In some cases they may harass their own family and friends in order to fabricate false evidence or witness reports.

This type of stalker firmly believes that he or she is the real victim.

These stalkers are frequently delusional and irrational.

When presented with the facts, this type of stalker will rationalize and manipulate everything he can and ignore even a direct question, in order to preserve his fantasy of being the victim.

Erotomania:

Also called Clerambault Syndrome, after the French psychiatrist who first identified it in 1921, the disorder is diagnosed far more often in women.

The patient becomes fixated on a person and despite rebuffs, becomes convinced there is a romantic relationship.

Men with the disorder are more likely to become violent than women, particularly if they have a history of substance abuse or mental illness.

What makes this type of stalker dangerous is their tendency to objectify their victims.

This means they will view a victim not as a human being, but as an object that they alone must possess and control.



How do you feel about being stalked?

Do you know when a stalker is on your trail?

Given how easy it is to be stalked online are there any "tells" to look out for especially on dating sites?

Do you think it's possible for other people participating in dating site forums to recognize a stalker stalking someone before the individual being stalked in the forums realizes it themselves?

Is stalking ever considered to be socially acceptable behavior?

I only concern myself with the crazies in the real world.

This is a good question & I too want to know.

Cyberstalking

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cyberstalking

Cyberstalking is the use of the Internet or other electronic means to stalk or harass an individual, a group, or an organization.

It may include false accusations, defamation, slander and libel.

It may also include monitoring, identity theft, threats, vandalism, solicitation for sex, or gathering information that may be used to threaten or harass.

Cyberstalking is often accompanied by realtime or offline stalking.

Both are criminal offenses.

Both are motivated by a desire to control, intimidate or influence a victim.

A stalker may be an online stranger or a person whom the target knows. He may be anonymous and solicit involvement of other people online who do not even know the target.

Cyberstalking is a criminal offense under various state anti-stalking, slander, and harassment laws.

A conviction can result in a restraining order, probation, or criminal penalties against the assailant, including jail.

Definitions and Description

Cyberstalking is a form of cyberbullying, and the terms are often used interchangeably in the media. Both may include false accusations, defamation, slander and libel.

Technology ethics professor Lamb�r Royakkers defines cyberstalking as perpetrated by someone without a current relationship with the victim.

About the abusive effects of cyberstalking, he writes that:

[Stalking] is a form of mental assault, in which the perpetrator repeatedly, unwantedly, and disruptively breaks into the life-world of the victim, with whom he has no relationship (or no longer has), with motives that are directly or indirectly traceable to the affective sphere.

Moreover, the separated acts that make up the intrusion cannot by themselves cause the mental abuse, but do taken together (cumulative effect).

A number of key factors have been identified in cyberstalking:

False accusations.

Many cyberstalkers try to damage the reputation of their victim and turn other people against them. They post false information about them on websites.

Attempts to gather information about the victim.

Cyberstalkers may approach their victim's friends, family, and work colleagues to obtain personal information.

Monitoring their target's online activities and attempting to trace their IP address in an effort to gather more information about their victims.

Encouraging others to harass the victim.

Many cyberstalkers try to involve third parties in the harassment. They may claim the victim has harmed the stalker or his/her family in some way, or may post the victim's name and telephone number in order to encourage others to join the pursuit.

False victimization.

The cyberstalker will claim that the victim is harassing him/her.

Attacks on data and equipment.

They may try to damage the victim's computer by sending viruses.

Behaviors

Cyberstalkers find their victims by using search engines, online forums, bulletin and discussion boards, chat rooms, and more recently, through social networking sites, such as MySpace, Facebook, Bebo, Friendster, Twitter, and Indymedia, a media outlet known for self-publishing.

They may engage in live chat harassment or flaming or they may send electronic viruses and unsolicited e-mails.

Cyberstalkers may research individuals to feed their obsessions and curiosity.

Conversely, the acts of cyberstalkers may become more intense, such as repeatedly instant messaging their targets.

More commonly they will post defamatory or derogatory statements about their stalking target on web pages, message boards, and in guest books designed to get a reaction or response from their victim, thereby initiating contact.



WOW!

It appears that cyberstalking is a serious problem.

And it seems that online forums not only make it easier for criminals to find and victimize their prey, but public posts that remain on the internet long after people may leave sites where they've harassed others or have been harassed also makes it easier for authorities to see who the perpetrators and victims are too.

Good old fashion common sense.

Thanks for the intel. That is some scary reading right here.

Is Cyberstalkers = Scammers?

I've been interacting on various sites online since mid 2012. And I've encountered numerous strangers that know a lot about me even though I know absolutely nothing about them, and may not have even exchanged words or posts with them.

Now people knowing things about me isn't the issue, because I'm pretty open about myself on purpose. I'm either your cup of tea or I'm not, so beating around the bush is too slow and bores me easily.

But, I've also been viciously attacked on the boards of another dating site, I think its called being flamed, by an entire group of people I've never met or interacted with. And after this kind of thing happens to you, especially if you're a newbie, you quickly get the feel of the sites your on, and if you're ever attacked again even if just subtly, you know it.

So, to me, "a tell" that I am being or have been stalked is when someone I DO NOT know posts information about me that the only way they could know it is if they are following me around watching me, keeping up with my personal business, or are talking to their friends about me.

And I'd like to know the tells of others who've been stalked, because I know I'm NOT the only person online this happens too.

Cross-referencing my poetry to find what sites I write on and then creating an account on there (while I'm still dating you)... I consider intense stalking.

I really don't get why this happens to me.

Guess the NSA aren't the only sociopaths violating our fourth amendment right. I never thought life was safe anyway.

I've found that every single person i know who has experienced being "stalked" has had it happen more than once. Seeing as how the vast majority of us will never have even a single stalker it begs the question why do some have this issue repeatedly?

My belief is that 50% it's complete bullsh�t, 49% of the time it's self-caused and 1% of the time it's legitimate unwanted and unwarrented attention that would qualify as "stalking".

Athens....Great Post ....

it Happens


As I Know Too Well

Everyone should watch out for me!!

I believe that people whom claim to be stalked multiple times in different situations should not be worried about the stalkers, but should look at the common denominator in all the situations.

I think there is a little self centeredness involved when one starts thinking that "everyone" is targeting them specifically like they have nothing better to do with their time.

I've been stalked in real life. It's not fun.

I wish I had a stalker.

Got celery?

Oh ... That's the best feature for the "cause"!!!

huh