There's a reason why stalking has been called 'murder in slow motion'

Jodie Foster, Steven Spielberg, David Beckham, Madonna – what binds them all, aside from wealth and fame, is that each has been a victim of stalking. Or perhaps Baby Reindeer has given you an insight into the frightening reality.

I could list countless ordinary people whose names you wouldn't recognise, but whose lives have been equally devastated by stalking. The majority of stalking victims are women – around 80 per cent – and approximately 70 per cent of perpetrators are men.

Stalking is defined as a "constellation of behaviours in which an individual inflicts upon another repeated unwanted intrusions and communications”. Organisations specialising in stalking identify four key behaviours of stalkers: their actions are fixated, obsessive, unwanted, and repeated.

Jodie Forster was infamously a victim of stalking when she was a child actor (Picture: Michael Tran) | AFP via Getty Images

Domestic abuse

We often try to categorise perpetrators, attempting to define the ‘type’ of person who stalks – but this has proven challenging. Research is ongoing, even as the number of stalking cases continues to rise, fuelled in part by the pesky internet and social media.

Of the stalkers who appear in court, nearly three-quarters are linked to domestic abuse – former partners who continue to exert control through stalking. I can’t even begin to imagine how terrifying that must be.

It's even more chilling when we consider that the Suzy Lamplugh Trust, experts in this field and a great source of support, found that many women murdered by partners had previously experienced obsessive, fixated stalking behaviours from their killers.

Paladin, another advocacy service, describes stalking as “murder in slow motion.” While fatal outcomes are rare, the psychological trauma, stress, and hypervigilance make a victim’s life hell.

So, what do we do with the perpetrators? Stalking isn’t solely a mental health issue – although mental illness is relatively common in this group, it varies widely, much like in general offending populations. Depression, delusional disorders, and other diagnoses have been observed, and where these are present, psychiatric intervention can provide some treatment and control.

Many cases are short-lived

However, this is not generally the case, and we often find stalkers in the justice system. Where this is not related to a mental health diagnosis, other interventions are required. Restraining orders are frequently ineffective and provide little relief for victims; the behaviour often continues undeterred.

Imprisonment is sometimes the only measure that offers victims a brief sense of safety, but it is short-lived. Victims might sleep better in the short-term, but the anxiety about a perpetrator's release never fades. Worse still, there’s a lack of structured tools within the prison system – therapeutic programmes that directly address stalking behaviours.

While many stalking cases are short-lived, this is little comfort to someone suffering under constant unwanted attention. When it persists, however, there are outstanding agencies offering support. Action Against Stalking, founded by the remarkable Ann Moulds, has driven significant change in Scotland.

Policing has also evolved considerably in how it understands and responds to stalking. Victims often experience over 100 unwanted contacts before action is taken, but that doesn’t have to be the case.

Stalking steals peace of mind and robs you of the security of feeling safe, but reclaiming your voice can be the first step toward taking it back. You don’t have to suffer in silence, or hope that your tormenter will eventually give up – the first step to safety could be just one call away.

Karyn McCluskey is chief executive of Community Justice Scotland.

Find out more about National Stalking Awareness Week