presentation by dr. james knoll director of forensic psychiatry suny upstate medical university

Presentation by Dr. James KnollDirector of Forensic Psychiatry

SUNY Upstate Medical University

to SUPA Forensic Science TeachersOctober 10, 2008

ppt. developed by J. Pawlowski, Science RD HS

stalking study considered pure science

mathematical evidence

obsession/pursuit is normal

perpetuated and reinforced

STALKING

Jim Carrey asks love interest if he has a chance…

He asks if he has a 1 in a 1000 chance… She tells him it’s more like 1 in a million!

This means there is a chance…

In ‘Dumb and Dumber’…

For a stalker’s victim, this is dangerous!

8% of women2% of men

Majority of victims are stalked by former partners this is most common and

most dangerous.

WHO GETS STALKED?

Dependent on state lawsAll 50 states have stalking laws

Level of crime dependent on jurisdiction

California first state to enact stalking laws in1990

Stalking Laws

Rebecca Schaeffer

Stalked and murdered by Robert Bardo

‘My Sister Sam’ Star Rebecca Schaeffer

Sending letters that she read and responded to as she would for any fan

Hired a private investigator to track her routines and determine where she lived

In a letter to his sister he wrote, “ I have an obsession which is unattainable

and I have to eliminate what I can’t have” Rebecca was shot to death by R. Bardo

Bardo stalked Rebecca by…

Justin Bieber

Stalker: Dana Martin

(Photo: Wikipedia)

A 45-year-old man, Dana Martin, so infatuated with the star, Martin started revealing his “Bieber on the Brain” tendencies by getting a tattoo of the pop star on his left leg. He started writing fan letters to Bieber, but when he received no response, he did what many stalkers would've done or fantasized doing:

Killing was next plan In prison Martin hired a few inmates to do so Plot foiled

Sandra Bullock

Joshua Corbett, 39, confronted her in her home. Corbett scaled a fence topped with barbed wire to get close with the actress.

Corbett had pictures of Bullock and several handwritten love notes, one of which read,

"I will forever be thinking of you and (Bullock's son) Louie, my son, as you are my wife by law, the law of God and you belong to me and me to you."

Psychiatrist has the duty to report threats to self or third party

Confidentiality not applicable

Board of Education lawyer was required by law to contact Mrs. Pawlowski directly and warn her of the verbal and written threats to kill her and others (serving as vice principal in Georgia in 2000).

Duty to Report

Pattern of following a victim or harassment of same

Threat (s)Fearful victim

EVIDENCE NECESSARY Includes disturbing letters, photos, texts,

voice mail DO NOT DISCARD

Stalking laws include…

‘Every move you makeevery breath you take,I’ll be watching you’… Stalker is invalidated without partner ‘If I can’t have her, no one can’

The musical artist, Sting, wrote

Stalker Behavioral Analysis

MALE MID-30’SINTELLIGENT OR AT LEAST

SOMEWHAT CLEVERUNEMPLOYED OR UNDEREMPLOYED

EX-INTIMATECHRONIC SOCIAL FAILURE

Research based conclusions Results of the N=74 stalkers interviewed

and studied

Erotomanic (delusional) 7Love obsession 32 Love gone sour 35

A delusional stalker believes someone is in love with him. Movie star? Singer?

3 part typology of stalkerdeveloped by Dr. Zona, psychiatrist

with the LAPD Threat Management Unit

American Journal of Psychiatry

1999

Classified and analyzed types of stalkers

Paul Mullen researches, studies and treats stalker offenders in Australia and

the world.

Dr. Paul Mullen Study

Rejected 36%Intimacy Seeking 34Incompetent 45Resentful 11Predatory 4

N= 145

Stalkers are classified into

5 groups

Pursue an ex intimate Want reconciliation and revenge

(toxic blend of motivations) Criminal assault history Personality disorders (between psychotic and neurotic; normal

are neurotic, psychotics have no sense of reality)

Difficult to get along with

REJECTED

REJECTED

OJ Simpson quote ‘lets say I committed this crime…’

Penny Chang Stalked with violent threats via email and killed

Intimacy Seekers

Motivation is to be with ‘true love’ Desire relationship of love Reinterpret or oblivious to

victim’s response Many have delusional

disorder;mentally ill, yes! ‘a fixed false belief that can’t be

shaken’ Erotomanic delusions

Intimacy Seekers

Robert Hoskins stalked Madonna

Broke into her property Attacked body guards Sent emails and letters Madonna testified in trial (Hoskins received the attention he sought by having her testify)

THE MATERIAL GUY in prison

Incompetent

Motivation is to get sex Acknowledge victim’s disinterest but.. Have crude motivation to desire

Tend to have low IQ Socially inept; may be ‘cave man’ Pleads Friendly, trusting women often targets of this stalker type

Female to male stalkers are about

one in four 1:4Women stalkers are rare but tend to be of INCOMPETENT type

RESENTFUL

Desire retributionTell of persecutionParanoid type diagnosis Intend to frighten and /or distress victim

New Hampshire judge received picture of clock showing 5:20 with a note

‘this is when you’ll die’

p

Predatory

Serial sexual predator Prepared for sexual attack Stalk to study and observe Well-planned; have equipment for attack and submission or torture

PARAPHILICSNo warning or communications; are they

really stalkers?

Threats Assaults Rejected 71% 54%

Intimacy Seekers 50 23 Incompetent 32 27 Resentful 87 25 Predatory 33 50 Domestic violence in rejected type Rejected often has warning signs Progression of rejection in divorce, custody

battles, loss of love, may increase in intensity

Rejected: legal sanctions, mental health support; risk reduction

Intimacy seekers: involuntary court order, impervious to legal sanctions, will do anything for love; victim must make legal

Incompetent: interpersonal and communication skills; often drop victim 1 for victim 2

Response to Health Management

Resentful: difficult to engage in treatment, court order for anger treatment, intervention dilemma (are we making this worse?)

Predatory: criminal justice containment and treatment for parafilia (sex offenders)

Usually incompetent or resentful Identify type, account for individual Ex intimates most lethal Multidisciplinary team w/law enforcement Tailor intervention

Suggestion that ‘resentful’ type can include some terroristic threats /actions

Conclusions

POSSIBLY…

Disorder of attachment Inability to ‘self- soothe’ Why more men than women, not

known

Stalker psyche? Why?

Special Agent Ron Hazelwood, FBI

Each book written comes highly recommended

Profiler or Behavioral Analysis

Reading

Never forget the victim…After episodes with a stalker, a victim’s life is often shattered. Many have to relocate, leave employment, suffer emotional trauma, or worse, even if the stalker is managed or contained by law enforcement. Ω