Stalkers and their Victims / Edition 2

by Paul E. Mullen, Michele Pathé, Rosemary Purcell

Overview

Stalking has emerged as a significant social problem which not only commands considerable public attention but is now, in many jurisdictions, a specific form of criminal offense. This new edition brings the reader completely up-to-date with the explosion in published research and clinical studies in the field, and covers new issues such as cyberstalking, stalking health professionals, stalking in the workplace, female stalkers, juvenile stalkers, stalking celebrities, evaluating risk in the stalking situation, as well as exploring changes to the legal status of the behavior. Illustrated with case studies throughout, this is the definitive guide and reference for anyone with professional, academic or other interests in this complex behavior.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780521732413
Publisher:	Cambridge University Press
Publication date:	11/13/2008
Series:	Cambridge Medicine (Paperback)
Edition description:	New Edition
Pages:	334
Sales rank:	708,747
Product dimensions:	7.40(w) x 9.60(h) x 0.60(d)

About the Author

Paul E. Mullen is Professor of Forensic Psychiatry at Monash University, Victoria and Clinical Director at the Victorian Institute of Mental Health, Australia.

Michele Pathé is Director, Threat Management and Consultant Psychiatrist at the Victorian Institute of Forensic Mental Health and Honororary Senior Lecturer at Monash University, Victoria, Australia.

Rosemary Purcell is Forensic Psychologist and Senior Research Fellow at the University of Melbourne, Australia.

Table of Contents

Foreword; Preface; Acknowledgements; 1. Stalking: a problem behaviour; 2. Stalking as a social construction and social reality; 3. The epidemiology of stalking; 4. The victims of stalkers; 5. Stalking typologies and classifications; 6. The rejected stalker and the resentful stalker; 7. The predatory stalker; 8. Intimacy seekers and incompetent suitors; 9. The erotomanias and the morbid infatuations; 10. Stalking among juveniles; 11. Female stalkers; 12. Same gender stalking; 13. Cyberstalking; 14. Stalking by proxy; 15. The law as stalker's agent; 16. Stalking in the workplace; 17. Stalking of health professionals; 18. Stalking celebrities and other public figures; 19. False victims of stalking; 20. Evaluating and managing risk in the stalking situation; 21. The therapeutic approach to the stalker; 22. Reducing the impact of stalking on victims; 23. Defining and prosecuting the offence of stalking; References; Index.

Editorial Reviews

"This book is noteworthy for a few reasons. First, it addresses the phenomenon of stalking from an international perspective, which tends to offer a broader view of the behavior. (Admittedly, data is lacking from varied ethnic and cultural populations which could skew findings significantly.) Second, the authors are heavily invested in working with this clinical population, which provides a unique perspective, especially when it comes to assessment and treatment. Third, the book addresses many of the issues particular to this population....This new edition is an interesting read, a worthy contribution to the field, and provides a much needed update on the knowledge gained since the previous edition."
—Doody's Review Service

From the Publisher

Reviewer: Steven T. Herron, MD (Assurance Health and Wellness)
Description: Written by clinician-researchers who have an interest in issues related to stalkers and their victims, this book is an update of a 2000 publication.
Purpose: The authors identify the primary purpose of this book as providing "a clear and accessible account which does justice to the complexities of the social, criminal justice, psychological and psychopathological factors in stalking situations," with a bent toward clinically useful information.
Audience: Though useful for anyone interested in stalking behavior from various clinical standpoints, this book's primary utility is for clinicians and researchers working with either stalking perpetrators or victims.
Features: From defining stalking through describing potential therapeutic approaches in the treatment of offenders, this book addresses the varied presentations of this complex and elusive behavior. Case examples provide context for discussion of the issues, and a limited number of tables summarize data. An appendix lists various services available to stalking victims in a number of countries throughout the world and the book includes a 15-page list of references.
Assessment: This book is noteworthy for a few reasons. First, it addresses the phenomenon of stalking from an international perspective, which tends to offer a broader view of the behavior. (Admittedly, data is lacking from varied ethnic and cultural populations which could skew findings significantly.) Second, the authors are heavily invested in working with this clinical population, which provides a unique perspective, especially when it comes to assessment and treatment. Third, the book addresses many of the issues particular to this population. The only similar book is Stalking: Psychiatric Perspectives and Practical Approaches, by Pinals (Oxford University Press, 2007), though it is limited primarily to understanding the phenomena from a national perspective, with all but one contributor from the United States. This new edition is an interesting read, a worthy contribution to the field, and provides a much needed update on the knowledge gained since the previous edition.

Doody's Review Service

4 Stars! from Doody

An overview of stalking from its history as a construct and epidemiology to assessment and management strategies for both the victim and the stalker are offered in this book. The purpose is to provide descriptive, and where possible atheoretical, information on stalkers and their victims. Considering that the recognition of stalking as problem behavior has occurred just in the last twenty years, such a volume proves a valuable resource. The authors succeed in giving this overview. While the authors themselves do not specify the target audience beyond ""anyone with a professional or academic interest,"" the book seems aimed at mental health professionals, social scientists, and legal professionals. It is written at a graduate level. The authors have both extensive academic and practical experience in this field making them well qualified to offer this information. The authors cover just about every aspect of stalking. They describe the recognition of stalking as a problem and the epidemiology of the stalkers, victims, and behaviors. In later chapters they cover classification and description of various stalking subtypes, and they concludes with measures, both psychological and legal, to aid the victims and the stalkers. Perhaps the best features are the plentiful case examples, which give vivid illustration to the authors' review of the subject. This is an excellent review of the recently recognized field of stalking. The authors summarize much information difficult to find in collected form elsewhere.

David M. Montani

Stalkers and Their Victims provides an excellent comprehensive overview of stalking. It is a well-written and concise work that has considerable relevance for physicians and provides an excellent reference for those interested in this topic.

Journal of the American Medical Association