In light of my recent hacking by my ex, I thought I would write a piece on "stalking" and the categories of stalking that exist in today's society. In the American Journal of Psychiatry, PE Mullen develops 6 categories/types of stalkers. They are:
1) Rejected Stalker
2) Resentful Stalker
3) Predatory Stalker
4) Intimacy Seeker
5) Incompetent Suitor
6) Cyberstalker
According to the National Center for Victims of Crime (NCVC), over 1 million women and over 370,000 men are victims of stalking each year in the United States. Furthermore, a study done between the years of 1992 and 1996 showed that most stalking occurred in the workplace. According to the United States Justice Department, these “stalkings” included,
- 1.5 million assaults
- 51,000 rapes
- 84,000 robberies
- Over 1000 homicides (disgruntled employees--usually resentful stalkers--are responsible for most workplace homicides)
So how do we protect ourselves?!? Well the NCVC website has some amazing resources that you should check out here. They also have some real simple steps to get you started, here are my top 5:
- Don’t be afraid to report suspicious activity. Even if no crime has been committed, at least there will be a police record of inappropriate behavior on file, in case further action needs to be taken.
- If you are being cyber-stalked or harassed online, save and print all conversations and messages as evidence.
- Travel in groups as often as possible. There’s safety in numbers.
- File a restraining order.
- Don’t show fear. Stalkers prey on victims who are easily intimidated, so it is important to keep your guard up.
Most importantly, don’t ignore the problem! If you sense any anti-sexy/fishy activity please take some action. Chances are the activity will continue or get worse. So take control of the situation and bee safe!
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