You have this constant feeling that you simply can’t shake. Your anxiety levels are skyrocketing and you are constantly on edge. You feel like you’re being watched… all the time. Every step you take, every movement you make, someone is watching you. You have stalkers and they are after you even when you are at home.

Trigger Warning: If you’ve been tracked before, this content may appear triggering. Please use your discretion before reading the following content.

Is someone following you?

You are walking down the street. It is late. A few busy people are passing by who don’t care about you. Yellow street lights make you feel comfortable and relaxed as you walk slowly towards your house. And then it hits you out of nowhere. That nagging feeling of being watched. who is being observed? You stop and look around. But there is no one around. You breathe a sigh of relief and tell yourself that it’s all in your head. You start walking towards your house again.

But for some reason, something just doesn’t feel right. Your shoulders are tense, your back is heavy. You can feel a trickle of sweat running down your temples. Your gut is screaming at you to look behind you. She suddenly turns back and that’s when you see her. A dark silhouette stands behind you. It looks familiar, but you can’t tell exactly who it is. Your heart sank and you struggle to breathe as a sudden rush of fear gripped you.

You turn back and start walking faster, only to hear his footsteps behind you matching your pace. You walk faster, and so does he. You panic and start running to get to your doorstep. As you struggle to open your lock, you look back in fear, but there is no one to see.

You wonder if it’s all in your head. Was it just a trick your tired mind played on you? When you enter your house and close the door behind you, you see him standing in the dark behind a street light. You have stalkers and they are here to stay.

While this is what stalking may traditionally look like, with the advent of social media and its ever-increasing popularity, online stalking or stalking on social media has become very prevalent. Unfortunately, most of us don’t realize that we are being stalked, either online or in real life.

Related: Decoding the Dark Triad: Recognizing and Differentiating Narcissists, Machiavellians, and Psychopaths

What is stalking?

Stalking refers to unwanted, intrusive, and repeated surveillance, attention, contact, or harassment by someone directed toward a specific individual. This can make the victim feel apprehensive for their safety and privacy, anxious, and emotionally depressed.

Stalking is a form of manipulation and intimidation by the stalker to gain power and control over the victim. It is usually considered a criminal offense by the federal government in the United States.

Usually, stalking can look like receiving an unwanted contact, like –

Frequent phone calls, texts, or emails
To be followed or watched by someone
Unsolicited gifts or messages
Threat or intimidation
Harassment on social media

Stalking is a dangerous behavior that potentially affects millions of people each year. It is a pattern of behavior where one person repeatedly harasses or threatens another, causing them fear and stress. While it is often associated with strangers, the majority of stalking cases involve someone the victim knows, such as

• ex-partner
• classmate
• Co-worker
• neighbor
• knowledge

It is important to take stalking seriously and to seek help if you are a victim of stalking. This can include notifying the police, asking friends or family for support, and documenting all contacts with the stalker.

Psychology of stalking

Stalking is a serious crime that can have severe consequences for the emotional and physical well-being of the victim. Researchers claim that stalking is a common problem in our society. It is often motivated by mental disorders in stalkers and can have negative psychological and social effects on the victim. “Stalking is a frequently reported crime. It has a strong impact on the lives and mental health of victims. One study showed that it is often perpetrated by people with mental disorders.

Stalking is a pattern of behavior that includes –

• harassment
• the threat
• the next
• monitor f
• Contacting another person without their consent

It is generally not a one-time event, but a series of actions intended to scare or intimidate the victim. It is important to note that stalking can occur in a variety of contexts, including intimate relationships, educational settings, work settings, and with strangers.

While most “legally defined stalkers are men who pursue women,” the researchers note that many women tend to pursue men as well. Thus, there are no statistically significant differences between the sexes in this area.

Stalking prevention is a community effort that involves educating oneself and others about the signs of stalking and how to report them. Speaking up against stalking and supporting victims can also help prevent stalking from happening in the first place.

Types of stalking

Stalking can take many different forms, and it’s not always easy to recognize. Some common types of stalking include:

1. Online stalking
   This type of stalking involves using technology, such as social media, email, or text messaging, to harass or threaten someone. The researchers found that “as Internet use increases, there is an increased risk of online harm, including cyberstalking.” Facebook stalking, Instagram stalking, or stalking on other social media apps has become very popular nowadays.

Related: Breaking the Cycle: 7 Strategies To Avoid Falling Into A Narcissistic Relationship Pattern

2. Chasing the intimate partner
   This type of stalking occurs when a current or former intimate partner harasses or threatens the victim. Studies have found that 54% of reported stalking occurs in romantic relationships and “45% of stalking occurs after the dissolution of an intimate relationship.”
3. Stalking from strangers
   This type of stalking occurs when a stranger follows or harasses someone without any prior relationship. The researchers found that individuals who chase strangers are “often mentally ill and psychopathology is associated with more persistent and frequent stalking behavior”.
4. Work-related stalking
   This type of stalking occurs when a co-worker or supervisor harasses or threatens an employee.