The Crime of Stalking
Stalking has been around since the beginning of time. Men and women alike have been accused of such a crime cause they either can't get it out of their head that the other person does not want to have anything to do with them, or they are just obsessed with a stranger. It is just recent that they United States Government have decided to make stalking a crime in it self. This type of crime was labeled as harassment, annoyance, or domestic violence. It wasn?t until the 80's and 90's that stalking cases were brought to the attention of the media and high political policy makers.
I suppose that I should inform you as to the legal definition of stalking before I go any further with this paper. There really is no one definition, each state has the right to put down on paper their own definition of what they this is stalking. Most states will agree that stalking is a willful course of conduct involving repeated or continuing harassment or another individual that would cause a reasonable person to feel terrorized, intimidated, threatened, harassed, or molested, and that actually causes the victim to feel terrorized, frightened, intimidated, threatened, harassed, or molested. Basically this is saying that in order for there to be stalking, a person need to feel like their life is in danger, they are unable to lead a normal life cause of another person that won?t leave them alone.
There are three main types of stalkers. The first one is the simple obsession type. This is probably the most common one consisting of 70 to 80 percent of all stalking cases. Most of these were brought on when a relationship of some type was terminated. This could have been a business relationship, neighbor, customer, dating or even a lover. These people are also seen as the most dangerous. In cases where the two people were dating or lovers, they become obsessed with getting the relationship back, not with the sexual aspect. This type of stalker has a low self-esteem and feels that their partner is the only positive thing in their life. They fear losing this person, for they become dependant on them for their support and sense of achievement. They literally feel that without this person being an active and positive part in their life that they are worthless. They do not realize that they are driving the person further from them, they think that they a...
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... Expecting police to solve your problem and hope it goes away
8. Taking adequate privacy and safety precautions
9. Neglecting to enlist the support of family and friends.
10. Ignoring their emotional need before and after a stalking .
This is only the top ten mistake that a victim makes.
There are probably plenty others, and if a person feels like a they are a victim of stalking then they need to get some help.
In conclusion, stalking is not something to be taken lightly. It is a serious crime that affects thousands of people each year. Recent laws are making it safer for the victim, but there is a lot more that needs to be done, and as long as there are men and women on this earth then there is going to be stalking.
Works Cited
1. Heavy Hands, by: Denise Gosslin. Prentice Hall 2000. Pp. 316-326
2. National Call for Law Enforcement Stalking Protocol, by: David Anderson (6 Mar. 2000) <http://www.ncvc.org/stalking_protocol.htm>
3. Top Ten Mistakes, by: Clairity Consulting. (6 Mar. 2000)
http://www.stalkingvictims.com/mistakes.html
4. Stalker Definition, by: Zona. (6 Mar. 2000)
http://onour.com/stalking/definiti.htm
When they feel rejected they can become extremely violent towards whoever they feel rejected them. Celebrities need to be made aware of how to handle stalkers, so that when they are faced with the problem they can deal with it properly. A forensic science graduate states, "Risk management strategies for this type should emphasize the need for professional protection of the target despite the low frequency risk of violence, since the injury is likely to be more serious if violence does occur …" (Mohandie). Many celebrities won't go to the police to report stalkers because they do not believe it is a real problem. This does not help them get the stalker to go away. When celebrities learn about how to deal with stalkers they are more likely to report the problem to the
of the direction to “use every reasonable means to enforce a restraining order” given the
In October of 1998, Aaron Kreifels, a young man, resident of Laramie, Wyoming discovered Matthew Shepard's limp body bound to a fence. From a distance Kreifels mistook Shepard's slender frame for a “scarecrow”, and was horrified to find otherwise (Kaufman). Matthew Shepard, a twenty-one year old University of Wyoming student, had been beaten until he was no longer recognizable, and while still technically alive he was rushed into urgent care. He died, after slipping into a coma, six days later (Kaufman).
In the article The Flip Side of Internet Fame by Jessica Bennett, Internet harassment is thoroughly made aware to inform active social network users of its solemnity. Real life scenarios of people who suffered from public humiliation or social desecration are presented. Bennett makes her argument conclusive by addressing her audiences' pathos and ethos appeal, sourcing credible individuals throughout the article and stressing the agony and ignominy that the listed individuals perceived. Furthermore, the author demonstrates how critical it is to be conscious about the possibility of not recovering from a fatal encounter on a social network and also raises the question: “What's to stop a person from posting whatever he wants about you, if he can do so anonymously and suffer no repercussions?”(115). Bennett tries to enlighten the reader of “the dark side of Internet fame”(113), showing how publicity may not always be marvelous.
Anyone around you can be a stalker. Stalkers come from all and any socio-economc background. There are categories made for stalkers but at times, not every stalker fits in each characteristics perfectly. According to the Sexual Assault prevention & Awareness Center, there are six categories of stalkers. The Rejected stalker, Resentful stalker, Predatory stalker, Intimacy seeker, Incompetent suitor, and Erotomania and Morbidly Infatuated.
It is worth mentioned that the author pointed out a positive note by addressing that very often, cops are being called to mediate disputes or helping someone mentally and far less often that they come to a home for felony cases. On the other hand, he mentioned that police is invading someone’s privacy when he shows up at a house with a camera. However, that is completely expected as the individual that placed the phone call is already aware that their privacy is about to be invaded by a stranger. Hence, they are already mentally and physically prepared
The stalkers involved in stalking are married or divorced, casual or serious sexual partners or formal sexual partners. They may also be live-in partners or former boyfriend or girlfriend. The stalker and victim might have history of domestic
"Domestic Surveillance." Issues & Controversies. Facts On File News Services, 18 Nov. 2010. Web. 20 Nov. 2013. .
"FBI Law Enforcement Bulletin: A History." FBI Law Enforcement Bulletin 81.12 (2012): 1-2. Academic Search Premier. Web. 30 Mar. 2014.
It started slowly, with just him not wanting me to go to one type of social event because he didn’t like the people there. Then it got worse and worse. He was trying to control me by alienating me from my friends. After a bit I started fighting back, which made his obsession with controlling me as his possession stronger. When I finally asked him to leave he threatened to kill himself. I finally got him out, and he was staying at his mother 's house, but then the stalking started. On page 92 in the book, Cooper-White explains stalking by outlining the Justice Department 's Stalking Victimization Survey 's seven types of harassing behaviors: "1. Making unwanted phone calls, 2. Sending unsolicited or unwanted letters or emails, 3. Following or spying on the victim, 4. Showing up at places without a legitimate reason, 5. Waiting at places for the victim, 6. Leaving unwanted items, presents or flowers, and 7. Posting information or spreading rumors about the victim on the Internet, in a public place, or by word of mouth". My stalker did every single one of these things to me. When I read the chapter on Sexual Harassment and Stalking, it was almost a validation of what I went through as a victim. Thankfully in my situation, I kept track of his stalking and took him to court. The judge was able to identify his actions as stalking, (probably unknown to me she probably used this
Marvin, Douglas R. ?The Dynamics of Domestic Abuse.? FBI Law Enforcement Bulletin 66 (1997): 13-18.
...277 - 290. Print. The. Douglas, John E., and Mark Olshaker. Obsession: The FBI's legendary profiler probes the psyches of killers, rapists, and stalkers and their victims and tells them how to fight back.
Entrapment is a very important issue today in criminal justice because of the United States wide use of undercover operations that are meant to evoke victimless offenses as a part of proactive law enforcement. Nevertheless like with other laws entrapment is something that needs to be regulated and a since of fairness should also be installed. Undercover operations are necessary and they have their place in the law enforcement arena however these operations have severe backlashes that causes a potential “drug bust” to turn into an investigation of a detective department when things go wrong. This type of police corruption leads to lost of respect in the community along with trust from the thought of being infiltrated
In addition, if someone was fallowing you, taking pictures and bullying you every day single day, you would instantly report them to the police and they would without a doubt get the stalkers arrested, and they would get a restraining order. But if a celebrity calls the cops saying that there is someone following them and harassing them, no one is willing to protect them, because they are not able to stop the paparazzi for good. It 's like all celebrities are being punished for being rich and successful. Nobody deserves
Anyone can be stalked online, but statistics show that the majority of victims are women. Women are the minority of the internet population, which means their attention is generally fierce competition between male users. (Jenson, 1996, p.3) Cyberstalking and online harassment are easy to practice than real life stalking. In cyberspace, a stalker can harass their victim without ever having to leave the comfort of their own home, or have any witnesses to the crime.