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Articles » The Psychological Profiles of Killers
A Study On Obsessional Followers
Olga Nekrasova
About one percent of women and half of a percent of men are stalked annually. Stalking is legally defined as, "the willful, malicious, and repeated following and harassing of another that threatens his/her safety." The term "obsessional following," also known as stalking, was created by scientists Meloy and Gothard to further clinical research through the use of a clearly defined title, that does not involve sensationalism. An obsessive follower is "a person who engages in an abnormal or long term pattern of threat or harassment directed toward a specific individual".
Meloy conducted a research on "obsessive followers" who had been reported to the authorities. The research included ten studies of 180 individuals. Most of them were residents of urban areas of the United States; however, some were from Great Britain or Australia. As a result, the profile of an "obsessive follower" became more apparent. It is usually a male in his thirties, with a history of failed heterosexual relationships, who has previously been intimate or acquainted with his victims. They usually have a higher Intelligence Quotient than that of other mentally disordered criminals.
Unlike other criminals, "obsessive followers" have a lower percentage of antisocial personality disorder, which is associated with their intense, unhealthy attachment. Those men also often develop narcissistic fantasies them to their victims, but in reality are challenged by fear of rejection and humiliation. In turn, they express rage as a defense mechanism to combat their fears.
More research conducted on stalkers with and without psychological disorders proved that most of them had major attachment problems when they were children and have experienced recent loses. The Schwartz-Watts study confirmed previous findings about stalkers' better education and high intelligence levels, as well as high drug abuse and mental disorders. Stalking is considered a "courtship" illness, rather than a sexual behavior disorder. The offender assumes that the healthy romantic pursuit is mutual, however does not work, so the only other way to form attachment is to make unwanted aggressive contact. It links domestic violence with obsessive following. Another disorder associated with stalking is schizophrenia, because of its link with delusional beliefs. Perpetrators who suffer from schizophrenia or some of its symptoms usually stalk strangers or acquaintances.
As for the behavior patterns of stalkers, usually it's the males who pursue the females. The rates of paraphilia, sexual preoccupation and sexual pursuits, assaults or exposures are very low. However, obsessional behavior could be a symptom of sexual illness, but it is mostly a defense mechanism against shame or rejection that comes out as anger, hostility and abandonment rage. The perpetrator usually idolizes the object, and hence needs to destroy it to not see the imperfections of the victim. However, weapons are used in very few cases.
Stalking is a serious violation of privacy and safety for about one out of every hundred women and one out of every two hundred men, annually. It is therefore punishable, although it often involves mentally unstable individuals, who need medical and psychological treatment. Research is still being conducted on the mysterious nature of this crime.
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The Journal of Forensics Science , October 1999
A Replication Study of Obsessional Followers and Offenders with Mental Disorders.,
J Reid Meloy, PhD; Lynette Rivers, PhD; Liza Siegel, PhD; Shanya Gothard, PhD; J. Reese Nicolini, PhD
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