Who stalks? A description of patients at a high security hospital with a history of stalking behaviour

摘要

Background Knowledge about stalking, and in particular the people who do it, islimited in the UK.Aim This study aims to describe a sample of stalkers drawn from the resident popula-tion of Broadmoor high security hospital in the UK.Methods Case notes and research database information for 362 consecutive admis-sions were used to identify stalkers retrospectively. Data were extracted using a stalkingbehaviour screening checklist.Results A total of 33 patients (9.1%) were classified as stalkers. They were mostlymale (28), young (median age 29), unmarried (30), minimally educated and unem-ployed. Most had psychosis and personality disorder. They had inflicted a wide rangeof unwanted intrusions and communications on their victims, and both threats (55%)and assaults (45%) were common. The types of stalkers were more or less equally splitbetween intimacy seeking, rejected suitors, resentful and predatory, with only a tinygroup being incompetent suitors.Conclusions Although this small group of stalkers had been intrusive and attacking,few had been referred for treatment because of the stalking. The screening question-naire is easy to use and can be done from records. It may be that such screening shouldbecome routine in specialist secure hospitals.