STALKERS

stalking is a set of many behaviors (e.g., telephone harassment, sending unwanted gifts, pursuing, or surveillance).Another aspect of stalking behaviors that needs to be explained is that such behaviors can be produced by individuals with very different backgrounds, motivations, and psychological disorders. In other words, a stalker who harbors delusions that the victim is in love with him performs behaviors that are often similar to an ex-partner who seeks revenge for being rejected.

There are several signs that are good indicators of stalking behavior. It is also important to consider the intensity of such behaviors.

1. Persistent phone calls despite being told not to contact in any form.
2. Waiting at workplace or in neighborhood.
3. Threats.
4. Manipulative behavior (for example: threatening to commit suicide in order to get a response to such an "emergency" in the form of contact).
5. Sending written messages: letters, emails, graffiti...
6. Sending gifts from the seemingly "romantic" (flowers and/or candy) to the bizarre (dog teeth, a bed pan, a blood soaked feather) (Dietz et al. 1991b).
7. Defamation: The stalker often lies to others about the victim (claims of infidelity, for example).
8. "Objectification": The stalker derogates the victim, reducing him/her to an object -- this allows the stalker the ability to feel angry with the victim without experiencing empathy (Meloy and Gothard, 1995).
http://www.aware.org/stalking/stalkgeninfo.shtml