Stalking and criminal harassment

1
Stalking and criminal harassment

• Complaints about behaviours involved in stalking
  were not new, but had been viewed as symptomatic
  of obsession or other individual psychological
  problems.

Ownership of stalking problem by victims
rights, battered womens movements redefined
behaviours as a new crime, often a form of
domestic violence
2
Constructing stalking myth

• Media --1989-93 major media issue
• -- cunning stranger, innocent victim, hideous
  crime
• Celebrity cases Schaeffer, Madonna, Letterman
• Love Obsession Stalkers develop fixation on
  person with whom they have no personal
  relationship 20-25 of all cases?
• --myths exaggerate reality foster fear,
  accentuate danger
• --isolated events are fused into pattern
• --no one is immune it could happen to anyone
• --language of fear hide, prowl prey

3
Officializing the myth

• 1990s antistalking laws proposed
• Misconceptions predominated
• eg. stalking does not discriminate
• eg. stalking often escalates into violence
• Stalking had become politicized
• Actual information
• http//www.eonline.com/News/Items/0,1,18550,00.htm
  l

America hit with escalating crisis it doesnt
know how to handle hundreds of thousands of
people victim to individuals obsessively focused
on them.
4
questionable statistics

• --200 000 stalked annually
• --5 women stalked during lifetime
• --90 women killed previously stalked
• Info from media, eg. USA Today, Newsweek
• Portrayed as universal threat however2 mistakes
• --govt ignored fact most victims women
• 75-80 of cases involve men stalking women
• --mistaken focus on celebrities, men

5
Measuring reality of stalking

• Media began to lose interest
• Link to domestic violence continued
• New research on prevalence 8W, 2M
• 78victims W, 87 stalkers M
• --20 strangers 80 previous abuse
• --less than 7 cases involved mental illness,
  sex-crazed predators
• Most a continuation of domestic violence

Stalking gendered
6

• 12.4.92
• 2.16.93

7
Stalking Behavior Patterns

• Behavior mirrors domestic violence
• Triggered when stalker's advances frustrated
• -- regardless whether seeking to establish
  relationship or continue previous
• Stalker woos victim by sending flowers, candy,
  letters, in attempt to prove love
• When victim spurns advances, stalker turns to
  intimidation, intrusion into victim's life
• Contacts become more numerous and intrusive
• Harassing behavior escalates to threats
• This level of seriousness often ends in violence

8
Stalking patterns

• 1999, three-quarters of stalked were women
• 9 out of 10 stalkers are men
• threats, harassing phone calls, assault, and
  mischief
• Online stalking is known as cyberstalking
• 56 women victimized by current, former partners
• Eg. Albert Belle charged with stalking
• 50 women, domestic violence also stalked
• Ex-intimate partner stalking most dangerous
• Stalking highest for young women 58 under 34
• --elevated stress, depression, fear, mirror PTSD
• http//www.metrac.org/new/stat_sta.htm
• Stalking news
• I felt like there was no way to hide from him.

9
Types of stalkers

• Intimate the guy who "just cant let go"
  emotionally abusive and controlling during
  relationship (50)
• http//www.wsbtv.com/news/7786277/detail.html
• Delusional schizophrenia, manic-depression or
  erotomania believes there is relationship
  targets teachers, celebrities, etc.
• Vengeful stalker become angry with victims over
  some slight, real or imagined disgruntled
  ex-employees stalk to "get even"
• http//www.antistalking.com/aboutstalkers.htm

10
Conclusion

• Faulty premises are more likely to be accepted if
  the audience is fearful
• Fears about dark, strangers, unknown, contribute
  to construction of problems
• Media construct fear of epidemic violence where
  victims selected at random
• Relentless push for legislation criminalization
  resulted in increased punitiveness of law
• New categories dont eliminate irrational acts,
  but create unrealistic expectations
• Real problem is disguised