Psychological Consideration of Stalking Behavior

<body topmargin=0 leftmargin=0 marginheight=0 marginwidth=0> <table cellpadding=0 cellspacing=0 border=0 height="100%"><tr> <td valign="top" width=160 BGCOLOR="#333333" TEXT="#F7F7FF" background="03cdedc2ddualp.png"> <div> <A HREF="index.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Dr. Wade Silverman, Ph.D"><U><B>Dr. Wade Silverman, Ph.D</B></U></A></div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="id8.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Contact Us"><U><B>Contact Us</B></U></A></div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="id147.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="FAQs"><U><B>FAQs</B></U></A></div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="id16.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="About Dr. Silverman"><U><B>About Dr. Silverman</B></U></A></div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="id146.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Great links"><U><B>Great links</B></U></A></div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="id3.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="The Mind Reader© archive"><U><B>The Mind Reader© archive</B></U></A></div> </td> <td valign="top" BGCOLOR="#FFFFFF" TEXT="#080000" background="03d64643.png"> <div> <FONT SIZE="5" COLOR="#666633" FACE="Times New Roman" ><B>Dr. Wade Silverman, Ph.D</B></FONT>    |     <FONT SIZE="2" COLOR="#0000BF" FACE="Times New Roman" ><A HREF="index.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Dr. Wade Silverman, Ph.D"><U>home</U></A></FONT></div> <div>                                                   </div> <div> Psychological Consideration of Stalking Behavior</div> <bR> <div> Stalking is actually a legal term defined state by state. In Florida there are four basic components. Dr. James Meyer from Florida State University uses the acronym MOCRY to define stalking. It is a complex crime that consists of a) <U>M</U>ultiple and various behaviors; (b) <U>O</U>ver time; (c) has a <U>C</U>ontinuity of purpose; and (d) produces a <U>R</U>ising fear for the victim or <U>Y</U>ou. </div> <div> The foundation of these behaviors is almost always a severe psychological disorder that is usually a function of the perpetrator's inability to develop healthy, affectional bonds in his/her family of origin. In more simple terms, they have had problems since childhood.</div> <div> There are many typologies of stalkers of which none are universally accepted. In some types of stalking, the perpetrator might not even know the victim. There is even instances of cyberstalking. In other forms of stalking the victim is a former partner or lover. Motives are varied including obsession with a lost love, a delusional attachment to the victim, or even a delusional sense of victimization. The most important consideration in the matter of stalking is the potential of danger to the victim. Dr. Meyer suggests a continuum of behaviors that begin with relatively harmless but nuisance behaviors such as hang ups or destruction of property. The stalker then may escalate to shadowing and following the victim or unannounced home visits. A threshold of danger begins when the stalker interferes with employment duties, makes threatening telephone calls or writes threatening letters. It is at this point you can define the behavior as promoting a reasonable fear of personal injury. Steps must then be taken to protect the victim. Only a small number of stalking cases end in homicide, less than five percent. However, the incidence of physical harm may be as high as thirty-five percent. </div> <bR> </td> </tr></table></body>