National Center for the Analysis of Violent Crime

Behavioral Analysis Unit

Critical Incident Response Group

STALKING : A THREAT ASSESSMENT PERSPECTIVE

THE NATIONAL THE NATIONAL CENTER FOR THE CENTER FOR THE

ANALYSIS OF ANALYSIS OF VIOLENT CRIMEVIOLENT CRIME

Supervisory Special Agent Supervisory Special Agent Eugene A. RugalaEugene A. Rugala

National Center for the Analysis of Violent Crime

Behavioral Analysis Unit

Critical Incident Response Group

FBI Academy

Quantico, Virginia

703-632-4321/ grugala@hotmail.com

TOPICS TO BE DISCUSSED:TOPICS TO BE DISCUSSED:

The role of the National Center for the Analysis of Violent Crime in the assessment of threats.

Nature and type of threatsThe Behavioral Assessment Process in the

assessment of various types of threatsOverview of StalkingStalker Typologies

Criminal Criminal Investigative Investigative

Analysis Analysis

Process of reviewing and assessing the facts of a criminal act, and interpreting offender behavior and interaction with the victim, as exhibited during the commission of the crime, or in the crime scene.

Behavior Reflects Behavior Reflects PersonalityPersonality

The method and manner in which a crime is committed, relates directly to the personality of the offender.

TYPES OF CASES WHERE TYPES OF CASES WHERE CIA MAY BE USEFULCIA MAY BE USEFUL

HOMICIDESSEXUAL ASSAULTSCHILD ABDUCTIONS/KIDNAPPINGSARSONS/BOMBINGSPRODUCT TAMPERINGTHREATS

CRIMINAL INVESTIGATIVE CRIMINAL INVESTIGATIVE ANALYSIS-PRODUCTS:ANALYSIS-PRODUCTS:

CRIME ANALYSIS UNKNOWN

OFFENDER PROFILE

INVESTIGATIVE STRATEGIES

INTERVIEW STRATEGIES

THREAT ASSESSMENTS

SEARCH WARRANT ASSISTANCE

PROSECUTIVE STRATEGIES

EXPERT TESTIMONY

Criminal Criminal Investigative Investigative

Analysis ProcessAnalysis ProcessResearch

Training -

Education

Experience

in

Similar

Cases

Case

Specific

Analysis+=

WHAT IS THREAT WHAT IS THREAT ASSESSMENT?ASSESSMENT?

IT IS AN ATTEMPT TO EXAMINE THE ELEMENTAL PARTS OF A VERBAL OR WRITTEN THREAT, IN ORDER TO ASSESS THE GENUINENESS AND OVERALL VIABILITY OF THE EXPRESSION OF ANINTENT TO DO HARM.

THREAT ASSESSMENT THREAT ASSESSMENT WITHIN THE NCAVCWITHIN THE NCAVC

IN UNKNOWN OFFENDER CASES, THE ANALYSIS OFWRITTEN, TYPE-WRITTEN, TAPE-RECORDED, AND COMPUTER-GENERATED THREATS MADE AGAINSTPERSONS, PLACES OR THINGS

IN KNOWN OFFENDER CASES, THE ANALYSIS OF BEHAVIOR EXHIBITED BY HIM/HER TO ASSESSPOTENTIAL FOR VIOLENCE

DEFINITION OF STALKINGDEFINITION OF STALKING

Repeated pattern of harassing behaviors

Intention to frighten, intimidate, or terrorize a particular victim

Men and women are the perpetrators

HARASSING BEHAVIORS HARASSING BEHAVIORS CAN INCLUDE:CAN INCLUDE:

SurveillanceLying in WaitNon-consensual CommunicationTelephone Harassment VandalismUse of the Computer to Harass and/or

Threaten an Individual

MOST STALKING LAWS MOST STALKING LAWS REQUIRE:REQUIRE:

The perpetrator must make a credible threat of violence

Against the victim; Others include threats against the victims

Immediate family; Still others require only that a course of

Conduct engaged by the alleged stalker constitute an implied

Threat.

STALKING PREVALENCESTALKING PREVALENCELIFETIME VICTIMIZATION LIFETIME VICTIMIZATION

RATESRATESThe National Violence of Women Survey found the following:

8.1% of Women and 2.2% of Men have been stalked at leastonce in their lifetime based on 16,000 respondents.

Based on U.S Census Bureau estimates, one out of every 12 Women and one out of every 45 Men, or 8.2 million and 2.0Million respectively have been stalked sometime in their Lifetime.

MOST WOMEN ARE MOST WOMEN ARE STALKED BY:STALKED BY:

38% by Current or Former Husbands.

10% by Current or Former Cohabitating Partners.

14% by Current or Former Dates or Boyfriends.

Overall, 59% were stalked by some type of IntimatePartner.

STALKING BEHAVIOR IS AN STALKING BEHAVIOR IS AN INTEGRAL PART OF INTEGRAL PART OF

DOMESTIC VIOLENCEDOMESTIC VIOLENCE

IN 80% OF THE CASES INVOLVING INTIMATE

PARTNERS, THE STALKING EITHER STARTED OR

CONTINUED AFTER THE WOMEN LEFT THE

RELATIONSHIP.

INTIMATE PARTNER INTIMATE PARTNER VIOLENCEVIOLENCE

In 1998, 1 Million ViolentCrimes were CommittedAgainst Persons by their Current or Former Spouses, Boyfriends, Girlfriends.

About 85% of Victimizations by Intimate Partners were Against Women

In 1998, About 1830 Murders were Attributable to Intimate Partners

In 1998, Women were Nearly 3 Out of 4 Victims of the 1830 Homicides

The Percentage of Female Murder Victims Killed by Intimate

Partners has remained at 30% since 1976

(National Crime Victimization Survey May 2000)

BATTERER TYPOLOGIESBATTERER TYPOLOGIES

POWER AND CONTROL BATTERERSMENTALLY ILL BATTERERSCRIMINAL - PSYCHOPATHIC

BATTERERS

(Walker, 1996)

POWER AND CONTROLPOWER AND CONTROL

Violence Mostly in Homes

Motivated by Abnormal Power and Control Needs

MENTALLY ILL BATTERERSMENTALLY ILL BATTERERS

Abnormal Power and ControlSevere Psychological Problems

Depression

Disordered Thinking

Obsessive – Compulsive Disorder

Paranoid Disorders

CRIMINAL – CRIMINAL – PSYCHOPATHIC PSYCHOPATHIC

BATTERERSBATTERERS

Commit Assaults Within the HomeCommits Other Non-Violent and Violent

not Limited to the HomeOften Diagnosed with Anti-Social

Personality Disorder.

OFFENDER OFFENDER CHARACTERISTICSCHARACTERISTICS

Jealous and Extremely Possessive

Manipulative Blames Others Unable to take No for

an answer Sense of Entitlement Unable to Cope with

Rejection

Dependent on the Victim for Sense of Self

Narcissistic Views Himself as a

Victim Mood Swings Deceptive Needs to be in Control

LATEST RESEARCH LATEST RESEARCH SUGGESTSSUGGESTS::

Violence Risk in Prior Sexual Intimates is High

Homicide Rates Among Stalkers are LowIn Domestic Cases, Stalkers Who Pose a

Threat Will Often Make a ThreatIn Public Cases, Stalkers Who Pose a

Threat will Usually Not Make a Threat (Meloy 2002)

LATEST RESEARCH LATEST RESEARCH SUGGESTS:SUGGESTS:

Three Predictive Factors for Stalking Violence: Prior Criminal History Drug Abuse/Dependency Prior Sexual Intimacy Two Other Related Factors: No Mental Disorder Threats

(Meloy 2002)

STALKER TYPOLOGIESSTALKER TYPOLOGIES

SIMPLE OBSESSIONAL

LOVE OBSESSIONAL

EROTOMANIC

FALSE VICTIMIZATION SYNDROME

( Zona, Palarea, and Lane )

SIMPLE OBSESSIONALSIMPLE OBSESSIONAL

Most Common TypologyPrior RelationshipPerception of Mistreatment on part of

OffenderPersonality DisorderShort DurationVolatile

LOVE OBSESSIONALLOVE OBSESSIONAL

No Prior RelationshipUsually Known Through MediaDelusional Disorders CommonLong Duration Offenders Mostly Male

EROTOMANICEROTOMANIC

Delusional DisorderRareNo Prior RelationshipLong DurationOffenders Mostly Female

FALSE VICTIMIZATION FALSE VICTIMIZATION SYNDROMESYNDROME

Victim Becomes SuspectFictitiousRareAttention and/or Attempt to Re-

Establish Existing Relationship Primary Motives

STALKER TYPOLOGIESSTALKER TYPOLOGIES

The typology can be viewed as a continuum basedon the following:

Dimension of the degree of relationship of the Stalker to theVictim. Stranger Vs. Non-Stranger

Dimension of Mental Health Issues.

Delusional Vs. Non-Delusional(Douglas, Wright Et Al)

Lethality IndicatorsLethality Indicators

Symbolic Violence Physical Violence Location of Violence Strangulation Surveillance/Control Threats Children Fear Suicidal or Homicide

Ideation

Status of Relationship Orders of Protection Resisting Arrest Availability of Weapons Substance Abuse Stressors Mental Illness Desperation Decreased Focus Depersonalization

National Center for the Analysis of Violent CrimeBehavioral Analysis UnitCritical Incident Response Group

SSA EUGENE A. RUGALA FBI Academy Quantico, Virginia 22135 703-632-4321 grugala@hotmail.com