Although we may take comfort from the observation that relatively few people in our society will have their lives invaded by a stalker, as noted in Chapter 2 the experience of being stalked is by no means rare. No one can claim immunity from a stalker's attentions by virtue of age, gender, social class, occupation, religion or cultural background. In large community samples a fifth of all stalking victims were male, and stalkers may pursue individuals of their own gender (Pathé et al., 2000).

Victims fall into six broad groups, based on the nature of the prior relationship between victim and stalker and the context in which the stalking arises.

Previous partners

Most stalking victims belong to this category, a typical example being a woman who previously shared an intimate relationship with her (usually) male stalker. For some victims, harassment begins before the relationship ends, their partners being increasingly intrusive, controlling and jealous. They may be subjected to following by their partner, unwanted approaches at their workplace, property damage, even assaults. This intimidation and control often serve to isolate the victim from outside support, hindering her prospect of leaving the relationship.

Victims in this category are exposed to the widest range of harassment methods. Persistent following, repeated phone calls, threats and assaults are more likely to be reported by this group.