Stalking: A Crime in Its Own Right, Not a By-product of Other Issues
Stalking is far too often treated as a by-product of other issues; whether post-separation conflict, mental health struggles, rape, sexual assault or murder. However, when we reduce stalking to just a symptom of these broader problems, we fail to recognise the true nature of the crime. Stalking is not simply a reaction to other problems; it is an escalating, intentional crime that causes real harm and distress. Afterall, you don’t accidentally follow someone – do you? No – It’s intentional!
Why It Can’t Be Reduced to Other Issues
By treating stalking as simply a symptom of mental health issues, sexual assault, difficult breakup or a homicide, we risk minimising its true danger. Stalking is not just a by-product of personal turmoil or emotional distress – it is a calculated act of intimidation and control. When we fail to see it as a distinct crime, we miss opportunities to intervene before it escalates.
Stalking isn’t just a momentary lapse in judgement, it’s not like you can trip over it like some hazard. It follows clear patterns, driven by specific personal motives, only known to the person choosing to stalk. This choice has a lasting impact on victims, a bit like having a life sentence and its no fun, I can tell you – its triggering and stressful. In grouping it with other societal issues, we neglect the complexity of its nature and fail to give it the specific attention it requires.
Victims of stalking face secondary trauma that demands tailored responses from both legal and other services. These responses need to recognise and understand the escalatory nature of stalking, as well as the long-term damage the behaviour causes.
Stalking itself is driven by a need to get to know someone, maybe to control, definitely to manipulate, and terrorise, sometimes unintentionally, sometimes deliberately.
Stalkers often plan their actions methodically, engaging in behaviours designed to monitor, harass, and, in many cases, coerce the victim, even when encouraging family and friends to keep watch or join in with intimidation tactics that could cost them a prison sentence.
The longer stalking dynamics are allowed to continue unchecked, the more dangerous it becomes. Left unaddressed, this predatory crime doesn’t just fade away—it escalates.
It’s time to stop treating stalking as a secondary issue tied to mental health, harassment, or relationship breakdowns. It is its own independent crime, one that demands a focused, urgent response. Victims of stalking deserve more than just labels and explanations, they deserve action plans that addresses the full extent of the harm they face.
Stalking is often dismissed as an annoyance or a temporary phase, but this misunderstanding misses the core danger: In criminological terms, the focus tends to fall on the behaviour of the stalker, labelled as obsessive or emotionally disturbed. But what if we reframe stalking as a crime of calculated manipulation rather than an expression of emotional breakdown? Stalkers aren’t just confused individuals or those driven by mental health issues. The tactic is subtle at first: constant messages, unwanted gifts; unsolicited visits, personal surveillance. But these acts add up, building an overwhelming sense of fear. Over time, the stalker’s control tightens, creating a chilling sense of uncertainty in the victim’s life, a bit like whack a mole – you know that game that has mechanical pop ups that you just don’t know where or when. Where will they show up next? What will they do next? It’s always in your head and “just because its in your head, doesn’t mean its not real” (Dumbledore, Harry Potter).
understanding Stalking
Administrative Theories and Stalking
Alternative Theories and Stalking’s Escalation
Alternative criminological theories, such as psychological and social learning theories, attempt to explain why some individuals engage in stalking. These theories often point to attachment issues, past trauma, or learned behaviours from peer influences or previous experiences. While they provide some understanding of the origins of stalking, they fail to capture how stalking functions as an intentional, predatory crime.
Stalking is not merely an emotional response, it is in most cases a deliberate act of control and intimidation; a predatory behaviour that escalates over time. Stalking goes beyond unhealthy dynamics and is not solely a symptom of personal distress. It is often rooted in a desire or to dominate, instil fear, and cause harm deliberately. While social learning theories suggest stalking may be learned or influenced by external factors, these explanations do not account for the calculated escalation seen in many stalking cases. In fact, stalking often intensifies, evolving into physical violence, such as strangulation, which should be recognised as attempted murder. This act is not just an expression of frustration or unhealthy attachment; it is a conscious, predatory method of asserting control over the victim. ‘do as you are told – or this is going to happen, and I won’t stop’ – that’s the message – death, and the bell rings very clear!
By treating stalking as part of sub sections, we risk overlooking its dangerous, escalating nature. Stalking must be recognised as a deliberate criminal act that can have devastating consequences, rather than a secondary issue or something that “just happens” as a result of emotional distress.
The Gendered Divide in Care: How State Support Favours Male Perpetrators While Female Victims Are Left to Pay Privately
Final Thoughts – Power to = Power Over
The gender-based discrepancy in the treatment of mental health services for male perpetrators of stalking and female victims reflects deep-seated societal biases that influence the allocation of resources and support services.
Male perpetrators are more likely to receive state-sponsored care and legal intervention, while female victims are often left to navigate a system that forces them to seek private, costly services.
Additionally, female victims frequently face the financial burden of relocating for their safety, which compounds the already significant emotional and psychological toll of stalking. This disparity is rooted in the perception that men are entitled to more institutional support, while women are expected to manage their own recovery, even at great personal and financial cost.
To address this imbalance, a shift in societal attitudes and institutional responses is necessary, ensuring that all victims of stalking, receive equal access to the care, support, and financial resources they need for safety and recovery.
