Stalking
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| Topics relating to Abuse. |
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- This article is about the action: to stalk. "Stalk" also refers to a part of a plant; the longish piece that supports the seed-carrying parts of a plant, or, more simply, the stem.
- In mathematics, "stalk" usually refers to the idea of the stalk of a sheaf. Rarely, in the context of the Mandelbrot set, a stalk may refer to Pickover stalks.
Stalking is repeated harassment or other forms of invasion of a person's privacy in a manner that causes fear to its target. It is essentially a course of conduct and particular acts include:
- repeated following;
- unwanted contact (by letter-writing, or other means of communication); or
- observing a person's actions extremely close for an extended period of time.
Contents |
Motives
Many stalking cases come out of previous relationships, and are conducted by people who are otherwise considered "normal". A sizable minority of stalking cases, typically the more severe and lengthy ones, are sometimes done out of a pathological obsession or derangement. Stalking is often a form of psychological abuse.
Stalking may involve the intent to acquire private information or objects. Common victims of stalking include:
- ex-husbands/wives;
- ex-boyfriends/girlfriends (somebody stalking an ex-lover whom they want back, or even a present lover of an ex-lover, and other cases of unrequited love);
- people in highly visible or social professions, such as teachers, counsellors, doctors and celebrities (a fan stalking a celebrity, or public figure); and
- prominent dissidents, political or otherwise.
Many other stalking cases are not sexually-motivated at all. It must be recalled that the essence of stalking is little more than the infliction of menace. This is a tactic commonly employed by underworld organisations against their enemies, and many unscrupulous debt-collection agencies employ underworld-associated people to use this capability to their advantage, often victimising the innocent.
Governments, particularly authoriatrian ones, can also employ stalking as an obvious form of surveillance against criminals and people whom they perceive as enemies of the state. This tactic is often abused to repress dissent and opposition. It is not uncommon for the secret police to have an informant or a number of informants follow suspected dissidents and report on their activities. (See also police state.)
Revloutionaries, insurrectionsts and terrorist groups use stalking as a method to spy on their enemies, often preparing in the meantime, a plan to kidnap or assassinate their target. The same applies to suspected traitors and whistle-blowers.
Trade unions may employ this tactic of picketing to pressure workers into participating into a strike or some industrial action, and some laws against stalking has addressed this behaviour. The original California version is an example. To be written
Laws on stalking
The laws against stalking in different jurisdictions vary, and so do the definitions. Some make the act illegal as it stands, while others do only if the stalking becomes threatening or endangers the receiving end. The first law to criminalise stalking in developed countries is the one in California, enacted in 1990. Within seven years thereafter, every state in the United States and some other common-law jurisdictions followed suit to create the crime of stalking, perhaps under different names such as criminal harassment or criminal menace. In England and Wales, liability may arise in the event that the victim suffers either mental or physical harm as a result of being stalked (see R. v. Constanza).
In 2000, Japan enacted a national law to combat this behaviour. However, the nature of the acts of stalking can be viewed as acts "interfering the tranquility of others' lives", and are prohibited under petty offence laws in China, made in 1987 (replaced by a new law, but the substance is preserved). Stalking, as in the context of organised crimes suppression, is expressly forbidden under Macau's laws.
Measures against stalking
Stalked public figures
Some stalkers have been following celebrities around since the advent of yellow journalism. In some cases, the stalking behaviour in question is quite harmless and does not go to extremes. In other cases, however, the celebrities being targeted:
- have to leave their profession for many years while they build a new life (e.g. Andrea Evans);
- have their homes constantly searched by political authorities when away, while often returning with a house surrounded by bugs and recording devices. They are also forced to live side-by-side with informants.
- Are forced to leave the country to avoid being arrested or persecuted.
- become the victim of violent attacks (Theresa Saldana and Karol Wojtyła survived to tell the tale, while others, like Rebecca Schaeffer and John Lennon, did not); or
- have resulted in dangerous incidents, killing or injuring the victim (e.g. Princess Diana- disputed-- and Viktor Yushchenko-- poisoned but survived).
See also
External links
- Article on stalking
- Benschop, Albert: Cyberstalking - Menaced on the internet. In: Sociosite - Peculiarities of Cyberspace.
- The Australian Anti-stalking and threat website
- Stalking Behavior
- Stalking Victims Sanctuary
- Sexual harassment and stalking support and resources
