Less than half of female stalking victims in the NVAW study reported being directly threatened by their stalkers (2). In contrast, 94% of battered women in another study reported being threatened with serious harm by their batterer-stalkers.

Are Stalkers Mentally Ill?
Most stalkers are not psychotic, (i.e., have hallucinations/delusions) although many do suffer from other mental problems including depression, substance abuse, and personality disorders (4).

Why do Stalkers Engage in this Behavior?
Motivation for stalking is not primarily sexual, but is more like to include anger and hostility towards the victim, often stemming from actual or perceived rejection of the stalker by the victim (4). Victims perceive control and obsessional behavior as primary motives of the stalker (2).

According to the NVAW survey, slightly more than half of female stalking victims reported their stalking to the police (2). Overall, only 13% of female stalking victims reported that their cases were criminally prosecuted. Police were more likely to arrest a stalker when the victim was a woman (2). Police were also more likely to refer female than male victims to victim service agencies for support and counseling (2).

What are the Costs and Consequences of Stalking?

Victims of stalking experience a number of disruptive psychological consequences of stalking, including significant fear and safety concerns, as well as symptoms of depression, anxiety and posttraumatic stress disorder (2). Most stalking victims do not seek mental health services (2). Approximately one-third of female and one-fifth of male stalking victims sought professional counseling (2).
Stalking victims reported missing an average of 11 days from work, and 7% indicated that they never did return to their jobs (2).
While homicide occurs in only 2% of stalking cases, when it does occur, the victim is most likely to be a former intimate partner (4).

How Can You Help a Victim or Yourself If You are a Victim?

Provide support and validation because threatening and harassing behavior alone, without accompanying violence are often minimized or discounted.
Remind the victim to check out the applicable state anti-stalking statutes.
Help the victim to develop a paper trail documenting evidence of stalking. Caller ID records, logs of phone calls, copies of threatening letters, pictures of injuries, or of the stalker sitting outside the home, are examples of evidence that may help build a case.
Inform law enforcement officials about the stalking and provide them with this evidence to support a case. If law enforcement officials refuse to conduct an investigation, consider contacting the prosecuting attorney’s office, or a local victim assistance agency. A victim may be eligible to obtain a restraining or protective order.
Remember, even restraining orders do not always prevent stalking from escalating into violence. Develop a safety plan. Inform friends, neighbors, and co-workers about the situation. Show them a photo of the stalker.
Consider, obtaining an unlisted phone number for private use, and set up an answering machine to receive calls to the published number.
Have easy access to a reserve set of: money, credit cards, medication, important papers, keys, and other valuables in case you need to leave quickly. Have a safe place in mind that you can go in an emergency.
Keep the phone numbers of assistance agencies easily accessible.
Try not to travel alone and always vary your routes. Consider carrying a cellular phone with you.

Victim assistance agencies are excellent sources of support and provide detailed information about safety planning.

Source

1.  Meloy, J.R., & Gothard, S. (1995).  A demographic and clinical comparison of obsessional followers and offenders with mental disorders.  American Journal of Psychiatry, 152, 258-263.

2.  Tjaden, P., & Theonnes, N. (1998). Stalking in American: Findings from the national violence against women survey. Washington, D.C.: U.S. Department of Justice. NCJ Report No. NCJ 169592.

3. Mechanic, M.B., Weaver, T. L., & Resick, P.A. (1999). Intimate partner violence and stalking behavior: Exploration of patterns and correlates in a sample of acutely battered women, under review.

4. Meloy, J.R. (1998). The psychology of stalking. In J.R. Meloy (Ed.) The psychology of stalking: Clinical and forensic perspectives. San Diego, CA: Academic Press.