Karen Franklin, Ph.D.

Selected Topics: Obsessive Relational Intrusion

("Stalking")

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Section 646.9 of the California Penal Code defines stalking as "willfully, maliciously, and repeatedly" following or harassing another person and making "a credible threat with the intent to place that person in reasonable fear of death or great bodily injury."

Under this definition, the elements of stalking include:

1. Following or harassing
2. Doing so repeatedly (at least two times, with an interval in between)
3. Making a threat (which can be implied, rather than explicit)
4. Causing fear in the target (which requires the target's awareness)

In the past decade, there has been an explosion of research regarding obsessional following, or stalking. The current state of stalking research is similar to the status of research on rape and domestic violence about two decades ago.

There is not one single type of individual who engages in stalking, nor is there only one type of stalking behavior. Stalkers are a diverse group. For example, some suffer from major mental illness, and some do not. Many know their victims (who were often former intimates); others target strangers, casual acquaintances, or workmates.

Researchers have developed a number of theories about why people engage in stalking, or obsessive relational intrusion. They have also studied known offenders in order to learn more about what causes their problematic behavior. Based on these studies, several typologies of stalkers have been proposed, as follows:

Zona's 1993 typology divided stalkers into 3 categories:

1.  Simple Obsessionals -- who had a prior relationship with their target (60% of all stalkers)
2.  Love Obsessionals -- who are obsessed with a stranger (30%)
3.  Erotomanics -- who falsely believe a stranger is in love with them (10%).

Harmon's 1995 typology separated stalkers along 2 overlapping axes:

1.  Affectionate/Amorous versus Persecutory/Angry
2.  Prior Interaction versus No Prior Relationship

Mullen's 1999 typology is the newest. Based on statistical analyses of 145 stalkers in Australia, 5 categories were developed:

1.  Rejected
2.  Intimacy seeking
3.  Incompetent
4.  Resentful
5.  Predatory

Different categories of stalkers have many important differences. For example, their rates of violence are different, and their behaviors typically go on for different lengths of time.

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