THE RAPIST
RAPIST PROFILES: STALKING

  • What is stalking?
  • Stalker Profiles
  • Types of Conduct by Stalkers
  • Who can be stalked?
  • What to do if you are a victim
  • For more information

WHAT IS STALKING?

Stalking involves one person's obsessive behavior toward another. The stalker's actions may be motivated by intense affection or an extreme dislike of the victim. Stalking will usually take the form of annoying, threatening or obscene phone calls or letters. The calls may start with one or two a day but can quickly escalate. Stalkers will conduct covert surveillance of the victim, following everY move the target makes. Even the victim's home may be staked out.

A stalker intentionally or knowingly engages in conduct directed at a specific person which would cause a reasonable person to fear bodily injury to self or immediate family member or to suffer emotional distress to self or family member of immediate family. Course of conduct = two or more occasions of maintaining visual or physical proximity to a person or conveying verbal or written threats or threats implied by conduct or any combination thereof directed at or toward a person.

STALKER PROFILES

  • Simple Obsessional  
  • Involves interpersonal relationships (i.e. ex-boyfriend, ex-husband/wife, co-workers, neighbors, etc.)
  • Love Obsessional
  • No relationship between the parties (i.e. fan/celebrity, unknown apartment tenant, unknown admirer at work)
  • Erotomania
  • Subject believes he/she is loved by another. Cases can develop between fan and celebrity, or in more ordinary settings such as co-workers.
  • False Victimization
  • Suspect (false victim) postures him/herself as a victim of stalking.
STALKING CONDUCT
  • Annoying or threatening calls
  • Contacting family, friends, employer
  • Damage to property
  • Letters
  • Photographs
  • Gifts
  • Trespassing
  • Following or show-ups
  • Disabling vehicle
  • Vandalism
  • Assault
  • Taking mail from mailbox
  • Trying to obtain private information
  • False allegations
  • Cruising by house, work

WHO IS STALKED?

Anyone. Stalking does not stay contained to just the immediate target (victim). It can extend to other family members and third parties. A victim can be stalked for several days, weeks, or even years. A statistically small, but visible, number of stalking victims are celebrities. Victims can be casual acquaintances or random targets of a stalker. Through constant harassment, stalkers make themselves the focal point in the victim's life. For the victim , life can become a nightmare as the person becomes a prisoner in his or her own home. Most stalking takes place between people who have known each other intimately. Domestic violence stalkers constitute the most dangerous and potentially lethal group of stalkers. Abusers often feel their victims belong to them, are theirs to control or punish for trying to leave. These abusers  rationalize their inappropriate behavior by blaming the victim. Leaving an abusive relationship requires care in planning and execution. Remember that you do not deserve to be stalked or battered in a relationship

WHAT TO DO

  • Keep records of all stalking/harassing behavior.
  • Keep accurate dates, times and location of where events took place, items received and names of any witnesses.
  • Keep all letters, envelopes and all packing materials.
  • Remember that a threat doesn't require words.
  • Contact the police lay a charge of intimidation, thereafter they will go to court and obtain a Sectiion 205 (of the Criminal Procedures Act) to tap your phone and trace the stalker. If the stalker is contacting you on your cellphone contact the service provider - Vodacom or MTN - and tell them request their security department to put surveillance on your phone and monitor all calls, they can break through the blocking devices many stalkers use.

IF YOU ARE A VICTIM

  • Try to avoid personal contact. Get away from the stalker as soon as possible and contact the police.
  • Tell your stalker once, clearly "No." People unwittingly encourage stalkers by trying to reason with them, giving the stalker the contact they desire. Do not engage your stalker in any way.
  • Don't let personal information be released. Tell friends, family and co-workers not to release information about you or themselves
  • Remove identification. Remove home address on personal checks and business cards.
  • Get a P.O. Box and limit access to your address.
  • Inform people. Describe the threatening person to those around you. Photographs work even better. Describe his or her vehicle and give the license plate number to family members, neighbors, co-workers, school officials, secretaries, and police. If the person is stalking you by phone taperecord the calls, and keep the tapes in a place where someone else knows where they are and keep records in a diary of each call.
  • Tell people at work. Notify your supervisor, security director and receptionist at work.
  • Screen mail.
  • Be alert!
  • Be aware! Don't hesitate to ask a security guard or co-worker to escort you to your car.
  • Secure your property. Keep personal property locked in your desk drawer. _Phone call identification:
  • Have IdentiCall at home but be aware many stalkers know how to block their number from showing up on the screen.

For more information - Contact CAPSA or the Utah Attorney General's Office.
236 State Capitol
Salt Lake City, Utah 84114
phone: 801-366-0260
fax: 801-538-9600
http://www.at.state.ut.us/

 

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