Psychiatry - August 2008 - (Page 37)

[REVIEW] THESE BOOTS ARE MADE FOR STALKING: Characteristics of Female Stalkers by SARA G. WEST, MD, and SUSAN HATTERS FRIEDMAN, MD Dr. West is from the Department of Psychiatry, University Hospitals/ Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine in Cleveland, Ohio; Dr. Friedman is from the Department of Psychiatry, University Hospitals/ Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine in Cleveland, Ohio, and from Forensic Psychiatry, Northcoast Behavioral Healthcare in Northfield, Ohio. Psychiatry (Edgemont) 2008;5(8):37–42 ABSTRACT When one is asked to picture a stalker, images of men with dark sunglasses, trench coats, and surreptitious behavior may come to mind. Contrary to popular belief, it is premature for mental health professionals to discount the actions of female stalkers. This article reviews how stalking is defined and classified in a broad sense and why it is important for mental health professionals to be aware of stalking behavior. The article narrows the focus to what the research has shown about women who stalk. Finally, there is a brief discussion of women who stalk celebrities and of Hollywood’s portrayal of the female stalker. AN INTRODUCTION TO STALKING Stalking has likely existed since the dawn of mankind, but it is only in the past several decades that the subject has appeared regularly in the psychiatric literature.1 It was not until 1989, when the actress Rebecca Schaeffer was murdered by a stalker, that the movement to create antistalking laws was initiated.2 However, it is important to recognize that “stalking is not only a crime for celebrities.”3 According to Meloy, stalking is “the willful, malicious, and repeated following or harassing of another person that threatens his or her safety.”4 Though state laws differ 37 ADDRESS CORRESPONDENCE TO: Sara G. West, MD, Department of Psychiatry, University Hospitals, Case Medical Center, 11100 Euclid Ave., Cleveland, OH 44106; Phone: (216) 8448985; Fax: (216) 844-1703; E-mail: sara.west@uhhospitals.org KEY WORDS: stalker, female, criminal behavior, mental health professional somewhat, this behavior is illegal in all 50 states.5 Large community surveys indicate that the lifetime risk for becoming the victim of stalking for a man is two percent and for a woman is eight percent.6,7 In 1999, Mullen, et al.,8 published a landmark study based on a population of 145 stalkers referred to a forensic psychiatric clinic. The sample consisted of 115 men and 30 women. Researchers examined the duration and methods associated with the stalking, the occurrence of threats and violence, the relationship of the stalker to the victims, and the [AUGUST] Psychiatry 2008 37

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Psychiatry - August 2008 Editor’s Message Editorial Advisory Board Contents Borderline Personality Disorder: Are Proliferative Symptoms Characteristic? Short-acting versus Long-acting Medications for the Treatment of ADHD Baby Stimuli and the Parent Brain: Functional Neuroimaging of the Neural Substrates of Parent-Infant Attachment These Boots Are Made for Stalking: Characteristics of Female Stalkers Managing Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder in the Emergency Department Obstructive Sleep Apnea, Hypoxia, and Metabolic Syndrome in Psychiatric and Nonpsychiatric Settings Improving the Quality of Life in Patients with Alzheimer’s Disease The Process of Getting New Drugs to Market Journal Watch Classified Advertising Information for Authors

Psychiatry - August 2008

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