There is a definition of stalking that includes animal hunting, but the real question is what harassment means and what stalking means. The crime of stalking, which is defined as a crime of power or control with the intent of intimidating the victim, is called stalking.
You can do this directly (in person, usually within sight or face-to-face) or indirectly (gifts and correspondence, paper and electronic, or property damage). These methods are further detailed below.
Stalking Meaning and Definitions: What is the meaning of stalking?
What is Physical Stalking?
Stalking is harassment that is repeated and unwanted by the victim. There are unfortunately many ways Who can stalk a person, including:
- Regular unwanted contact, like visits to the victim’s home, workplace, or other public spaces. This contact can also be via telephone or mail, or electronic (see Cyberstalking).
- Loitering near the victim – nothing is said or done, but the constant physical presence of the stalker can be disturbing for the victim. This can be as simple as driving past the victim’s house or standing where they can see them.
- Sending of gifts – while it is nice to receive gifts, when you do not want to get anything at all from someone, even a bunch of flowers can upset you. Some gifts can have hidden meanings, including sinister ones.
- Theft or damage to the victim’s car, home, workplace, or property is an escalated form of stalking harassment.
- It is not only the victim that Who can harass. Close friends and family can find themselves experiencing the same harassment, including threats to harm those close to (and protective of).
- The victim can also be directly threatened by the stalker, with threats to harm, sexually assault or kill the victim.
- The final escalation of stalking branches into a different category of crimes – assault. Stalking can get to the point where the victim ends up being physically and sexually assaulted.
Stalking Meaning: What is Cyberstalking?
Cyberstalking is similar to physical or offline stalking in that it is repeated harassment of the victim. This harassment takes place in the electronic world but may be coupled with more physical stalking.
Common methods include posting false accusations or defamatory facts online, threatening behavior, monitoring social sites and IP addresses, viral attacks to PCs and other electronic devices, identify theft, malicious ordering of items in the victim’s name (such as pornographic items), and encouraging others to join the harassment.
Stalking Meaning: Types of Stalkers
Many people have stalkers because they are typically ‘crazy’ who comes from nowhere to harass the victim. Over three-quarters of stalkers are known by their victims, and the majority of those were current or former intimate partners. Admittedly, many of the stalkers exhibit ‘crazy’ behavior, but it is usually minor neuroses or emotionally driven.
Studies have identified at least six major categories of a stalker, some of which stalkers progress through in the course of their ‘relationship’ with the victim:
- Incompetent Suitors – Some people lack the social skills to court someone effectively and instead drives the victim away by harassment behaviors.
- Intimacy Seekers – The stalker believes the victim to be their soul-mate and will do anything to establish an intimate, loving relationship with the victim.
- Rejected Stalkers – After having achieved intimacy with a victim, the rejection spurs the stalker into action once the relationship has ended.
- Resentful Stalkers – These stalkers have a grievance (real or imagined) against the victim, usually to distress or frighten the victim.
- Predatory Stalkers – This type of stalker operate closer to the animal hunting definition, spying on and tracking the victim with the intent of preparing and executing an attack (physical and sexual)
- Vengeance Stalkers – Also known as terrorist stalkers, these stalkers do not want (or have had) an intimate relationship with the victim. They want to get a message (personal or political) across in a harassing and threatening way.
Effects of Stalking and Stalking Meaning to the Victim
But what does stalking mean for the victim? Stalking is a type of assault, albeit mental or psychological, which can force the victim to change their daily lives to try and avoid the harassment, including home, work, or contact methods (phone numbers, etc.). All of this can lead to a sense of isolation by the victim, which is often what the stalker wants.
Is stalking a form of bullying? It can be in a variety of ways. So, what does bullying mean? Bullying is aggressive behavior with the use of force or pressure to abuse or intimidate others. You may find you need to understand what bullying means to identify it correctly and initiate prevention within your child’s school or community networks.
Another way of clarifying what bullying means is the following bullying definition” undesirable, aggressive conduct among children that includes a real or perceived power imbalance.”
By understanding the difference between bullying and stalking and what stalking means and what bullying means, you have put yourself at the beginning of the road to ultimate safety from stalkers and bullies.
It is important to understand the meaning of stalking and what bullying means and help others spread the word on what is meaning of stalking is and how to defeat it now!
In your opinion, what is the real stalking meaning, and how do we reach a comprehensive stalking meaning? In your eyes, what is stalker meaning? Who is the stalker? Weigh in below on the stalker meaning and help us end the trauma of stalking for everyone.
