By Mayank Dixit
Today stalking has become so common that 1 in every 12 people is being stalked, in some form or the other. The major purpose of the stalker is to induce fear in the mind of the victim. They wish to make the person agree to their demands solely on the basis of this fear.
Worldwide, 15% of women and 6% of men have suffered some form of stalking in their life. But what actually goes on inside the mind of a stalker that makes them relentlessly pursue a person, even overlooking the great emotional and physical pain they are causing to the person they are stalking, is still unclear. Decoding the mind of a stalker can give us some clues as to why stalkers resort to tormenting someone.
STALKER PROFILES
Psychiatrists classify stalkers as people who are lonely and lack self-esteem, yet they feel very, very important. Several stalker profiles have been developed which are:
1. The rejected stalker- This person was rejected in a relationship and they take it to be quite humiliating for themselves. Basically, such type of stalkers only seek vindication.
2. The resentful stalker- Such stalkers are self-righteous and self-pitying. These stalkers may threaten a lot but are least likely to act on it.
3. The intimacy-seeking stalker- They believe they are loved by the victim. This person is mentally ill and delusional.
4. The incompetent- This person is socially backward. S/He is not in tune with the rules involved in dating. Mostly such a person doesn’t mean any harm.
5. The predator- In such a case, the person being stalked may not even know they are being stalked. A predator plans their attack, rehearses it, and fantasizes a lot about the victim sexually.
But it is not certain that a stalker falls into the above-mentioned category only. According to studies, a sound minded individual can also turn into a stalker due to certain events such as the end of a relationship or divorce. In such cases, one of the two individual starts stalking so as to make an effort to reconcile, which may turn violent too
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INSIDE THE MIND OF A STALKER
Most of the stalkers wear a mask of charm. They may be the kindest or nicest people you may meet. You only get a whiff about their real motives when small red flags start showing up. For example, the person may become overly possessive of you when you don’t spend your every waking hour with them, and wish to spend some time with your family/friends/workmates etc.
A stalker is usually a lonely, isolated and a shy person, who lacks any intimate relationship, not just sexual but family and friends too. The stalker basically craves for any type of attention from the person they are stalking. They tend to achieve this through repeated phone calls, randomly showing up at their door or discreetly following them everywhere. Stalkers can also be a narcissist thinking themselves to be the most important person in the world.
HOW TO HANDLE THEM
By studying the psychological behavior of stalkers over the years, it has been concluded that a stalker turns violent only when they are said to back off on their face. Such a rebuke is often taken as an insult which may aggravate their violent streak. The mental state of a stalker is quite delicate. The victim should never try to approach them directly or talk to them. Any kind of threat from the stalker must not be taken lightly. The only safe and possible way to escape from this harrowing behavior is to report the stalker to the authorities.
Stalking is a serious offense that can harm the mental peace of the victim. Knowing what actually goes inside the mind of a stalker can tell us a great deal about what the stalker wants to achieve. But what we as a society, should try to achieve, is to send every stalker behind bars.
Sources– www.psychologytoday.com
–www.officer.com
Image Credits: Google Images
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