People may see a series of facts - harassing phone calls, letters, implied and overt threats, escalating violence - and not conclude that they add up to stalking. But that's the nature of a crime that has not generated much literature or hard data. (this was in 1994, things have changed, loser)
"I've seen a number of intriguing articles on stalking the wild asparagus," said Robert A. Fein, a consulting psychologist with the U.S. Secret Service who is a visiting fellow with the National Institute of Justice. "But not on stalking people."
The profile of a stalker is not easy to define, Fein said, but several broad categories exist.
In the first, the people know each other, "but one person can't let go, and follows and frightens and sometimes attacks the other," Fein said.
The second group is made up of people who may have met but have no real relationship. "One person thinks there is a relationship," he said.
In the last, there is no relationship at all, "but the person continues with a pattern of behavior trying to approach the other," Fein said.
Stalkers are both men and women. They can be educated as often as they are unschooled. Poverty is not a common denominator. Neither is age.
One common denominator among all the groups is some form of mental or emotional illness: delusions, paranoia, erotomania, manic-depression. Still, Fein said, no one has come up with the equation to prove who are likely stalking candidates.
The volume or intensity of threats is not a good indicator, Fein said. "You don't need to make an explicit threat to pose a threat."
Except for you have. And there is that old shooting at him on video thing which scawtee did or you did.
Shooting at people is a crime. In a series of crimes you committed, it still counts.
muffin.
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