ABSTRACT
Stalking was recognized by the British legal system with the introduction of the Protection from Harassment Act in 1997. The first anti-stalking law was implemented in California in 1990, prompted by the high-profile murder of television actress Rebecca Schaeffer, who was shot and killed outside her home by an obsessed fan. However, the constellation of behaviours involved in stalking are much more common between acquaintances and domestic partners than between celebrities and their fans (Mullen et al., 1999b; Palarea et al., 1999). A previous relationship does not lessen the impact that stalking behaviour has, nor the severity of the threat. Indeed, in cases where the stalker and victim have a previous relationship there is some evidence to suggest that there is an increased probability of physical attacks (Zona et al., 1993; Meloy and Gothard, 1995).
