Psychologists have laid bare the psyche of stalkers and why they choose their victims in the wake of hit Netflix series Baby Reindeer, which details the case of a comedian who is relentlessly pursued by a woman he meets in a bar.
The seven-part miniseries – which is trending on the streaming giant – follows Scottish writer and comedian Richard Gadd’s experience being stalked in his 20s.
His main character is sent 41,000 emails and hundreds of hours worth of voice messages during a three-year stalking campaign.
Explaining characteristics of a stalker, Adam Zagha, founder of Numa Recovery Centers and a mental health specialist, told Daily Express US: “Stalking behaviours often arise from underlying mental health issues, including personality disorders such as borderline or antisocial, attachment disorders, and obsessive-compulsive tendencies.”
He said they often choose victims “based on personal connections or perceived interactions”.
“Some may select victims they know personally, while others might fixate on public figures or complete strangers based on their needs or delusions,” he added.
Sophie Cress, a mental health expert and therapist, agreed that there is often a prior connection between the victim and stalker.
She told Daily Express US: “This connection could be a past romantic relationship, a casual acquaintance, or even a professional association.
“Such connections may fuel feelings of entitlement or obsession in the perpetrator, leading them to fixate on the victim and seek to maintain control over them, even after the relationship has ended or the association has ceased.”
Cress explained: “Stalkers exhibit a range of behaviors that are characterized by their persistent and intrusive nature. One common behavior is surveillance, where the stalker closely monitors the victim’s activities, either in person or through technological means such as GPS tracking or hacking into their electronic devices.
“They may also engage in repeated attempts to establish contact with the victim, including phone calls, emails, text messages, or social media messages, often despite the victim’s explicit attempts to end communication.
“Stalkers often exhibit delusional beliefs about their relationship with the victim, refusing to accept rejection or boundaries set by the victim. This can lead to persistent attempts to initiate contact or reconcile, despite clear indications from the victim that such advances are unwelcome.”
But Zagha explained that stalkers can recover.
He said: “Recovery from such behavior is challenging yet achievable with professional intervention. Treatment usually involves psychotherapy to address the underlying psychological issues.
“Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) and dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) have been effective in helping individuals change their behavior patterns and manage their impulses.”
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