Generality
Stalking is a form of persecution against a specific person (victim) in order to create contact.
This translates into a series of obsessive and inappropriate behaviors, aimed at expressing unsolicited attention from the victim; the most common attitudes of stalkers include stalking near the home or areas commonly frequented by the victim, threats, stalking, phone calls or unwanted attention.
Stalking takes place without the will of the person being persecuted and without any pretext being given to the harasser to be the target of such attention. Often, these behaviors open the way to violent actions; for this reason, it is important that the victim does not underestimate the phenomenon and reacts by protecting himself appropriately.
In Italy, stalking has been considered a crime for "persecutory acts" since 2009, punishable following the reporting of the facts, with the imprisonment of the harasser for a period ranging from six months to four years.
Stalking: definition
Stalking is a set of intrusive and continuous behaviors, which are implemented by the harasser in the hope of re-establishing a relationship concluded with a former partner, of controlling an acquaintance, or of "conquering" a stranger. The term “stalking” derives from the English verb “to stalk” which means “to follow stealthily”, but it can also be used in reference to the “hunter in ambush of the prey”.
The dynamics of these persecutory acts are varied and complex. The behavior of the stalker can consist of uninterrupted stalking near the places frequented by the victim (to collect information about him) and intrusions into his private life, by means of telephone calls (of sentimental content or, on the contrary, threatening), sending of objects or mail, surprise visits, stalking, vandalism and the like. The stalker's behavior is therefore characterized by a "more or less marked obsession with the person who is the object of his attention.
Regardless of the modalities, the stalker is always harassed and the persecutory acts are experienced as deeply unwelcome by the victim. The person targeted is, in fact, in a state of strongly negative psychic conditioning, from which it is difficult to escape. The victim is annoyed, worried and alarmed by such persecutions and the possible consequences.
In Italy, stalking is recognized as a crime in the "crimes against individual and moral freedom" of the person (law no. 38/2009, art. 612 bis of the criminal code "Acts of persecution").
Attention! According to the law, not so much individual acts are considered persecutors, but their seriality and their continuity over time, naturally against the manifest will of the victim. Persecutory behaviors must be repeated for at least four weeks and have characters such as to produce lasting effects in the persecuted person.
Typical stalker behaviors
Victim and stalker can be people who have had a contact or relationship of any kind (not necessarily sentimental) for various reasons (work, social network, family, etc.), or they can be two strangers.
A fundamental element of stalking is the serial nature and continuity of harassing behaviors, which must therefore:
- Be repeated over time (at least for 4 weeks);
- Having characteristics such as to produce lasting effects.
The attention of the stalker towards the victim can be manifested through intrusive communications, that is through the transmission of messages relating to their emotions (affective states in pathological form or experiences of hatred, resentment and revenge).
Consequently, the methods of persecution adopted are forms of communication such as:
- Phone calls, text messages, e-mails and social networks;
- Sending letters, flowers, gifts, messages or other objects with particular significance (of sentimental content or, on the contrary, threatening).
Another method of persecutory act is made up of contacts, which can be implemented either through indirect control behaviors (for example: stalking or monitoring the victim from a distance, requesting or canceling the request for goods or services in the victim's name) or direct confrontation. , such as visits to the home or workplace, threats and assaults (physical or sexual) and intentional damage to property (means of transport, home, etc.).
These forms of persecution can induce a state of constant anxiety and fear in the victim, to the point of forcing them to alter their habits. If a person is the object of the attention of a harasser, which is carried out in the manner described, it may be the case to contact the listening desks (anti-violence centers) or the competent authorities, in order to protect themselves from possible negative intrusions into their life.
The news reminds us more and more frequently how stalking and other dysfunctional emotional relationships can lead to severe psychological stress or physical violence. For this, it is advisable to face the problem with someone who can help to get out of the dangerous situation.
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