The 12 types of stalkers: how do they act and how to recognize them?

A stalker is someone who stalks, chases, repeatedly and persistently causes harm to the same victim, with the purpose of generating discomfort and affecting their mental and physical health.

The action can be executed physically, verbally, via the internet, chasing the victim... And it can appear in different areas such as work, school or home. Although the first objective may not seek to harm the harassed, given the continuous persecution that occurs, it ends up affecting negatively. The related topics are also different, from sexual to political, through professionals or lust.

Given the seriousness of the conduct, it may involve violence exercised repeatedly, is considered a criminal offense and as such is punishable by imprisonment, fines or community service, depending on the circumstances and the victim. harassed, for example, if there is a family relationship or the victim is vulnerable and resides with the abuser, the crime is of the aggravated.

In this article, we define what is meant by a stalker, what behaviors he tends to carry out, how he is This conduct is legally punishable and what types of stalkers exist, citing their main characteristics.

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What does it mean to be a stalker?

If we look in the dictionary we see that stalker is defined as someone who harasses, but what is stalking? Harassment consists of repeatedly and persistently chasing or harassing an individual, this action can be physical, psychological or through technologies such as the internet or the mobile phone. The purpose of such behavior is to annoy or create disagreement with the other person, that is, a discomfort appears in the harassed individual.

Harassment can appear regardless of social class, economic level, age... In this way it can be exercised from a superior to his subordinate or vice versa. Harassment can come from one person or it can be done by a group of individuals.

Thus, harassment is considered a crime, it is included in the Penal Code, since it threatens the freedom of people, more specifically It is considered coercion, which consists of a force or violence that is exerted on someone to force him to say or do something against his Will.

The penalties may vary according to the circumstances or characteristics of the victim: harassment can be punished with imprisonment from 3 months to 2 years or a fine from 6 to 24 months; if the victim is vulnerable, that is, has difficulty defending himself, for example due to disability or being a minor, the penalty will be imprisonment between 6 months to 2 years; If the harassment is exerted on a family member or vulnerable individual who lives with the harasser, it can be punished with 1 or 2 years in prison or with 60 to 120 days of community service.

Behaviors that are considered harassment may include the following: surveillance, chasing, or attempted unwanted physical contact; establish contact through any means of communication or a third person; use a person's personal data inappropriately; go against the freedom or against the property of a person. In any case, all these actions are carried out against the will or consent of the victim.

What kinds of stalkers are there?

Thus, although the intention may be similar, to affect the victim, there are different types of stalkers depending on the scope, objective or context in which it takes place. Here is a classification of the different kinds of stalkers.

1. political stalker

The political harasser is one who persecutes or is insistent because of the political beliefs of the victimeither because he disagrees or agrees with them. The individual will attempt to contact or follow the victim whether or not the victim is known. This harassment can be received above all by politicians, since being public figures it is easy to know their beliefs, but also by anonymous individuals.

2. Stalker for rejection or love humiliation

The rejection stalker is one who stalks her victim after she has not agreed to have anything with him / her. Harassment may have the objective of getting the victim to end up accepting her request, that is, to agree to be with him or simply take revenge for having rejected, humiliated and hurt his feelings of him.

In severe cases, this type of harassment can be observed in subjects with erotomanic delirium, these individuals have a psychotic disorder and fully believe that another person, usually a celebrity, is in love with them, in this way begins a behavior of persecution of trying to get in touch, since they believe they have a bond that in reality they do not exists.

3. celebrity stalker

The celebrity stalker, as its name indicates, stalks well-known people, public figures who have become famous for different reasons (music, cinema, television...). Such is the obsession of the stalker that he will do anything to get in touch and for the famous person to know of his existence. Her idol becomes the most important person in her life and she believes that there is a bond between them that is not really reciprocal.

4. domestic stalker

The domestic stalker is one of the most common profiles and also one of the most dangerous since it is done at home, privately, with the victim close to the harasser. Thus, the affected person may have more difficulty fleeing and it is common for the harassment to end up becoming domestic violence.

5. lustful stalker

The lustful stalker feels a sexual desire or arousal towards his victim, whom he follows or stalks without there being a direct contact, since in this case we would already speak of sexual harassment or even rape if it satisfies your fantasies.

6. sexual harasser

In sexual harassment, unlike the previous one, it does not simply consist of following the victim, but will establish direct contact with her either in person, through intermediaries or messages with the purpose of achieving sexual relations with her, who is contrary to this proposal.

The behaviors carried out can range from non-consensual touching, comments or gestures of sexual content or characteristics, to acts of physical violence. They can be exercised through messages, calls, physical intimidation, not allowing her to escape, asking inappropriate questions about her sex life or obscene and sexual comments about her body.

7. school bully

School harassment, also known as bullying, consists of psychological or physical abuse that is exercised between students, it is usual that stalking does not only remain in the classroom but also continues outside through, for example, the social networks. It is considered a serious form of school violence since it is carried out persistently and repeatedly.

It is common for the victim to show fear of going to school or feel alone, since on many occasions the harassment does not it comes only from one subject but from more and even those who do not exercise it also decide not to approach it to avoid receiving the same damage. In the same way, mental health is greatly affected and may develop depressive or anxiety disorders or lead to the worst consequences such as suicide.

8. workplace stalker

The workplace harasser stalks his victim with the purpose of generating fear, discouragement, contempt, that is, discomfort and getting the affected person to resign or be subjected to her demands. This action, which is also known by the name of mobbing, is done in the workplace, being able to exercise as a harasser someone superior or inferior hierarchically speaking or someone of the same level, a colleague.

9. professional stalker

The professional stalker is someone who acts, persecutes, with the purpose of getting money, in other words he is not the one who intends to produce discomfort to the victim, but rather to satisfy the wishes of another person, who really is the one who has the purpose of harassing, in exchange for money.

10. psychological stalker

The psychological stalker repeatedly exerts psychological violence with the aim of harming the victim. In this way, the harassment will be carried out mainly verbally, through words, such as: humiliation, devaluation, insults, contempt, disqualification, among others. The main purpose is to alter the mental health of the other person.

11. physical stalker

The physical harasser, unlike the previous one, does produce physical contact with the victim, that is, he exercises physical violence on it, although this can be of different intensity, the consequences are fatal and can even lead to the death of the affected. In this case, the main objective is to cause physical damage, although it also ends up generating psychological damage.

12. cyber bully

The cyberbully is who harasses the victim virtually, action that we also know as cyberbullying. The action may consist of a direct attack on the victim, spreading false information about her, supplanting her identity... These actions are characterized because they are carried out, on many occasions, anonymously and have a wide scope, that is, the information can reach many people and in a very fast.