facilitators of cyber stalking
Cyber stalking can result from many different forms of motivation or underlying causes. It is important to know what some of the psychological predispositions that might compel an individual to engage in cyber stalking, so that one might be able to identify a perpetrator. The research on cyber stalking is relatively limited, but it is easy to draw commonalities with existing stalking research; Roberts, 2008 notes that cyber stalking is often a sub-scale when assessing the prevalence of stalking, the behaviors are closely linked. McEwan, Pathé, and Ogloff, (2011) identify three considerations for evaluating stalkers which we will also use to consider why someone might begin to cyber stalk from a psychological perspective. The first consideration is the context in which the stalking behavior occurred and the original function of the behavior (McEwan, Pathé,& Ogloff, 2011). For example, a deteriorating romantic relationship might cause an individual to monitor and harass their partner (or soon to be ex-partner) so that they can
maintain a sense of control; the context is a break up, and the original function is maintaining a sense of control. Next, it is important to consider the nature of the stalker-victim relationship (McEwan, Pathé, & Ogloff, 2011). In continuation with the previous example, those individuals were romantically involved; it is also possible for someone to be in love with another from afar. The final consideration is whether or not any existing psycho-pathologies are present (McEwan, Pathé, & Ogloff, 2011). A mental health problem might more easily compel someone to cyber stalk.
Depending on which of McEwan and colleagues’ (2011) considerations are the strongest, will determine what kind of stalker someone might be. They identified five distinct typologies of stalkers, “the rejected”, “the resentful”, “the intimacy seeking”, “the incompetent suitor”,and “the predatory”. With the exception of “the predatory” stalker, all types can easily use a cyber medium to directly fulfill their specific needs based on the type of stalker they are.
maintain a sense of control; the context is a break up, and the original function is maintaining a sense of control. Next, it is important to consider the nature of the stalker-victim relationship (McEwan, Pathé, & Ogloff, 2011). In continuation with the previous example, those individuals were romantically involved; it is also possible for someone to be in love with another from afar. The final consideration is whether or not any existing psycho-pathologies are present (McEwan, Pathé, & Ogloff, 2011). A mental health problem might more easily compel someone to cyber stalk.
Depending on which of McEwan and colleagues’ (2011) considerations are the strongest, will determine what kind of stalker someone might be. They identified five distinct typologies of stalkers, “the rejected”, “the resentful”, “the intimacy seeking”, “the incompetent suitor”,and “the predatory”. With the exception of “the predatory” stalker, all types can easily use a cyber medium to directly fulfill their specific needs based on the type of stalker they are.