Question 1: Individuals Menaced by Stalkers – Describe the physical, emotional, and

financial difficulties faced by victims of stalking.

Stalking has been in existence since the beginning of human history. However, this conduct

was never labeled as a deviant social behaviour; let alone a crime. It was not until the first anti-

stalking stature in 1990 that this sort of behaviour became illegal. (OVC). According to the

Merriam-Webster Dictionary, Stalking is defined as a crime of willfully and repeatedly

following or harassing another individual in circumstances, over a period of time. Causing a

person to experience fear, hurt or lost of live. There are various types of stalking such as

intimacy, predative, rejection and cyberstalking.

A Stalker is a perpetrator who gives unwanted attention to an individual in the form of

harassment and intimidation. The intimate stalker is the intention of the stalker to be in a love

relationship with the intended victim. The predator stalker spies on their intended victim with

the intention to cause them harm. The rejected stalker is one that was rejected by the victim

and therefore follows their victim around and harasses them. Cyber stalking has emerged its

ugly head in recent years due to the fast-developing world of technology, and a cyber stalker

uses online threats and harassment to get the attention of their victim. (Sammons J, Cross M,

2017)

The majority of stalkers have some form of psychological issue, they may have antisocial

behaviour and suffer from paranoia. Criminal charges can be brought against this crime as

victims are protected against these violations. While it is common for celebrities and the Rich

and Famous to be stalked, it is even more common for ordinary citizens to be victims as well.

Stalkers use various methods of intimidation including threats, defamation, sexual harassment,
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control and influence over their victims offline and online. Stalking a victim online can also

transit to actual stalking. (Mechanic M Ph.D., 1998)

Most of the incidents are normally related to sexual harassments. Online sexual harassments

are also reported by both male and female victims though men fall slightly in smaller numbers.

Victims should contact their local authorities to report on the matter. (Blog, 2018)

A victim of stalking has a traumatized experience emotionally, physically and financially. They

struggle with the unknown and uncertainty of the whole episode. The victims face many

challenges in their daily lives and become less productive to society leading to inefficient

behaviour. Anger and frustration with their inability to correct or control the situation they are

in. In this report we will discuss how victims deal with these circumstances and how they

manage their lives.

When a victim receives unwanted attention from another individual, this can be defined as

stalking which can disrupt their lives and relationships. Unfortunately, some victims do not

report to the authorities, due to shame and guilt and therefore endures the trauma for years

before any action is taken either by the stalker becoming bolder or the victim standing up for

their rights. (Maran D A, Varetto A, 2018)

Most victims go through different stages. Some are confused by what and why they are being

stalked. Others wonder if they are in anyway to be blame. The victims feel frustrated,

withdrawn and embarrassed. Some feel guilty and even go as far as blaming themselves. This

in turn leads to sleepless nights, fatigue and fearfulness. Victims are always looking over their

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shoulder fearing that the stalker might confront them or worse become hostile and attack them

or their loved ones. (Blog, 2018)

There are many impediments faced by victims namely physical, mental and financial

difficulties. These are some examples of the various symptoms that the victim may feel and

have to deal with.

Victims frequently suffer from sleeplessness due to the fear of being attacked while asleep, and

if they do fall asleep, they may have nightmares. They live in constant fear for their safety and

the welfare of their loved ones and this anxiety may cause disruption to their daily lives. This

results in the victim not being able to carry out simple tasks, or even look after themselves and

their family, as fatigue gradually sets in.

The lack of rest and a proper diet will manifest into frequent headaches, heart palpitations,

dizziness and weight fluctuation. Prolong periods of living in constant fear from their stalker

will result in more adverse effects like anxiety, profuse sweating, gastrointestinal problems,

breathlessness, sexual dysfunction and antisocial behaviour. In the long term these will require

medical treatment which could result in abuse of drugs that were prescribed to help curb these

symptoms and the abuse of alcohol to help dull their nerves.

Victims may also go through a range of mental anguish; denial, inability to comprehend what

is happening to themselves, frustration, helpless in finding a solution to the stalking, guilt, self-

blaming, depression, feelings of helplessness and anxiety which brings about panic attacks

brought on by the fear of never feeling safe. (Pathé M, & Mullen PE. (1997)

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These mental challenges may vary according to the victim’s personality, past experiences and

present circumstances. For example, some personality changes could include irritability and

anger, introversion to aggression or vice versa, lacking concentration making it impossible to

accomplish simple everyday task. The most common adverse effects maybe Post Traumatic

Stress Disorder (PTSD), Suicidal tenancy, helplessness.

In the case of Kathleen Gallagher, a young athlete from Redwood City who was a victim of

stalking, suffered from physical and mental trauma. (Greene, J, 1991). She was stalked by her

high school track teammate, Larry Stagner, for 8 years. Kathleen received her first call during

her holidays; it started out innocently but then proceeded to threats of killing her then

boyfriend. Despite a restraining order and help from the police, Kathleen feared for her safety.

Even after relocating and starting married life, Stagner resurfaced (after serving 60 days jail

time) and put his plans into action during her honeymoon and when her husband was away.

After Kathleen’s final episode of an attempted kidnapping and physical attack by Stagner, and

a 12-hour standoff with the police, he was sentenced to 8 years imprisonment. Even though her

stalker is behind bars, Kathleen knows that it is just a matter of time before Stagner will find

her and come for her. This trauma has now left an indelible mental anguish in her life. (Mayo,

M 1990)

Lastly victims of stalking will go through different types of financial difficulties due to affected

performance causing them to either lose out on a promotion or even lose their jobs due to

mistake made manifested from loss of concentration due to lack of sleep. Poor health excessive

medical leave to seek treatment for these ailments will incur unnecessary cost. In addition,

further damage is done to financial stability from the purchase of security equipment to secure

their homes. In worst case scenario there will be a need to relocate and therefore increase their

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expenses resulting in payouts to movers, rentals, agents. This process can add a serious

financial strain to the victim’s already strain nerves making them more vulnerable. (Pathé M,

& Mullen PE. (1997)

A female lecturer from the University in Karachi who was a victim of cyber stalking by her

former colleague for seven years has expressed dissatisfaction at the sentence handed down to

the perpetrator, Assistant Professor Dr Farhan Kamrani. Kamrani was charged with posting

fake nudes of the victim. After seeing my fake photos and videos online she was traumatized

and lost all sense of security. She felt helpless and exposed. What would happen if my husband

saw the fakes, my family would be devasted, she said. My online presents would be called into

question.

As a lecturer, she endured both mental and financial difficulties. She said the amount of money

spent seeking justice could have paid for two PhD’s. Instead she walked away without

completing her Doctorate Degree due to all the court case. Seeking justice patiently is not an

easy task. But I had to stand up for justice and not be part of the crime, she said, This is not

about victory of a female over a male she remarked. This is about justice. (Yousafzai A,2021)

Female victims generally reported higher levels of fear. Despite the higher levels of fear felt

by the female victim, male victims also have similar experiences. Through the experience by

both male and female victims’ researchers have found a common pattern of response. Both

victims are mentally traumatized by being stalked. (Blog, 2018)

Despite these challenges victims are unsure about coming forward to the authorities as they do

not know how they can receive help. They should manage these circumstances by seeking

advice from legal professional, documenting all incidents and retaining all material evidence.

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All encounters should be carefully recorded for future investigation. They should apply for a

restraining order from the courts and this should be done at the onset of the stalking. Additional

measures such as purchasing of security equipment, cameras, audio recording devices and light

sensors to be placed around the house. The victim could enroll in a course of self-defense

training to defend themselves in the event of a confrontation. If a victim experiences

cyberstalking, they should remove themselves from any online contact with their stalker,

inform their family and friends of the situation and seek help from their internet provider and

the law enforcement agency. It is also advisable to consult a therapist to help them cope and

modify their daily habits. (Pathé M, & Mullen PE. (1997)

In conclusion it has been established that stalking is a serious crime that can only be brought

to justice if the victim lodges a complain and the crime can be brought to justice.

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Note: Content may be edited for style, length and preference.

References

Office for Victims of Crime OVC

John Sammons, Michael Cross, 2017, Beyond Technology – Dealing with People.
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/B9780124166509000097

Mindy Mechanic, Ph.D., 1998, Fact Sheet on Stalking

Daniela Acquardro Maran, Antonella Varetto, 2018, Psychological Impact of Stalking on Male
and Female Health Care Professional Victims of Stalking and Domestic Violence
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5859382/

Blog, 2018, How Common is Stalking?

Pathé M, & Mullen PE. (1997). The impact of stalkers on their victims. British Journal of
Psychiatry, 170, 12-17. <https://www.stalkingriskprofile.com/what-is-stalking>

Michael Mayo, 1990, A Nightmare come to life fear stalks Baty couple in form of man
obsessed with Dolphin Tight End’s.
https://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/fl-xpm-1990-10-14-/

Jerry Greene, 1991, Dolphins' Baty and wife living on time borrowed from stalker, The
Baltimore Sun
https://www.baltimoresun.com/news/bs-xpm-1991-10-20/

Arshad Yousafzai, 2021, Perseverance of harassment victim paid of after seven years.
https://www.thenews.com.pk/print/851093-perseverance-of-harassment-victim-paid-off-
after-seven-years

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