The recent surprise success of the Netflix series 'Baby Reindeer' has sparked an international debate about how societies should identify and define the act of stalking.
The show presents a dramatised version of what it says is a ‘true story’ based on the experience of comedian Richard Gadd, who was stalked by a customer he met while working as a bartender.
Mr Gadd says he was subjected to over 41,000 emails, 740 tweets and 350 hours of voicemails during a stalking campaign that lasted four years, and took its toll mentally, physically and emotionally.
Last November, the introduction under the Criminal Justice Act in Ireland of the new offence of stalking marked a significant step forward here, according to campaigners.
Stalking now carries a maximum sentence of up to 10 years in prison.
But how stalkers operate has changed significantly in recent years, and continues to do so, according to Dr John O’Connor, assistant professor in clinical psychology at Trinity College Dublin.
He detailed the causes and psychological issues related to stalking to Katie Hannon on ‘Upfront: The Podcast.’
"Stalking was mostly physical 10 or 20 years ago - following someone and being in their physical space such as walking behind them or turning up in their social spaces. That was the picture in Baby Reindeer," Dr O’Connor said.
"Now, a lot of stalking takes place online. It’s through texts, messaging, and social media."
While the methods of stalking have changed, the root causes remain around a perception of entitlement within the person engaging in the act, according to Dr O’Connor.
"It’s seen as a one-sided relationship, where one person pursues the other. It takes place over time and with a certain intensity. ‘Stalking’ is a good word to describe it because there’s a primaeval quality to it, a depth of compulsion. Our animal heritage makes us predisposed to being the predator in a sense but also being the prey," he said.
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Often stalking is conducted by people known to the victim, typically a former partner.
"We’re beginning to call that ‘stalking’ more. In the past, that was framed differently but people are getting better at recognising it as stalking. It can be very difficult for people to let go of a fantasy," Dr O’Connor told Katie Hannon.
"I think it's probably one of those things that happens maybe transiently and maybe more long-term following lots of relationship breakdowns. Most relationship breakdowns aren't consensual. It's one person kind of dropping the other," he added.
"Stalkers tend mostly to be people who experience some sense of entitlement to others and things in their lives. They feel more inclined to think that what they wish for is what they should have. They have a difficulty accepting other people’s needs and realities."
Baby Reindeer has brought the subject back into the public glare, according to Dr O'Connor. He said that people will better recognise elements of stalking now, and it will be easier for academics to study the causes and impact of stalking.
It may also help potential victims understand how individuals can be vulnerable to manipulation, he said.
"It [Baby Reindeer] was very good at showing that with people being stalked, there is a vulnerability within us. We all seek to receive attention from the beginning of our lives. It makes us more vulnerable to the flattery of strangers," Dr O’Connor said.
In terms of psychological treatment for victims of stalking, he said it is key to help the person reclaim their sense of self.
"People who present [for treatment] following stalking are very undermined by the experience. That’s a central problem for people. Stalking is a break into your boundaries and people struggle to regain those boundaries. There’s a post-traumatic quality to this, flashbacks of the experience," he said.
Dr O'Connor advises anyone who feels they may be dealing with a stalker to talk to someone about it, be it a trusted friend, a professional, or An Garda Síochána.
"When you are in a stalking scenario, you often don’t really know it. Saying it to somebody is an important starting point, partly to hear yourself saying it. That gives you the power to do something about it," Dr O’Connor said.
"There are elements of Baby Reindeer that are more typical than they appear. That sense of someone just turns up, that there is no safe space, is something I have come across a lot. It’s not as outlandish as it might look."
In relation to people who commit stalking, an authority figure can make an enormous impact, according to Dr O’Connor.
"There’s often a part of the mind of the stalker that knows what they are doing is wrong, and it’s in the moment of meeting the authority that becomes apparent."
He added that some stalkers believe their victim is in love with them when they're not - a psychological condition called erotomania - and may need mental health support also.
"There’s a major psychological issue in it, with a fundamental breakdown in the person's emotional and interpersonal functioning. I think in some forms of stalking, maybe the more erotomanic ones... there's more pleasure in, kind of almost, perversely, in the suffering of the other in it."
Listen to Dr John O'Connor speaking to Katie Hannon on Upfront: The Podcast here, on Apple Podcasts and on Spotify.
