NCJ Number
139525
Journal
Law and Order Volume: 40 Issue: 10 Dated: (October 1992) Pages: 138-143
Date Published
1992
Length
6 pages
Annotation
Police who investigate stalkers should be aware of their psychological charateristics and behavior patterns and knowledgeable about the recent legislation and other resources available to address situations involving stalkers.
Abstract
Recent legislation in more than 20 states aims to stop patterns of threats and harassment that often precede violent acts of assault, rape, and murder. It provides police personnel with statutory tools needed to protect victims from inappropriate and unwarranted contact. Stalkers include two types of personalities: the psychopathic personality whoh is fully aware of the criminality of the actions and the psychotic personality who may be suffering from a psychosis and/or has been diagnosed as having a specific disorder. The motivations for stalking range form power and control scenarios to bizarre obsessive delusions, including infatuation fantasies. The largest number of stalkers are males from abusive homes where violence was the normal way to settle disputes. They insist on male dominance and display hypermacho exteriors to hide feelings of inferiority. In contrast, stalkers with psychotic personalities have delusional fixations and sometimes believe that the victim is in love with him or her. Orders of protection and restraining orders have proved ineffective with stalkers, but the new laws give the police new tools in the effort. The Los Angeles Police Department has established a Threat Management Unit to deal with stalking incidents. Police agencies should encourage victims to report incidents and document any harassment to provide a basis for future actions by the police, prosecutors, courts, or psychiatrists. Case examples