What are the effects on someone who is being stalked? One girl in our group said she was being stalked for months before she even knew about it. With today’s electronics, stalking takes on a unique flavor. The man stalking her had tapped into her computer. He knew her passwords and was watching all her e-mails. Eventually, she had to move thousands of miles to get rid of him.
Level one: Physiological needs. For the most part, stalking does not affect Maslow’s level one unless there is some kind of physical violence.
Level two: Safety: Unless the stalker invades the comfort zones such as the house, shopping centers, places of work or school, Level two is unaffected. Unfortunately, this is what a stalker will do. Violating personal rights to control and manipulate another person’s environment and friends.
Level three: Love needs. Here, the victim may be prevented from forming healthy relationships with others as the stalker may prevent, either psychologically or physically, other relationships from being formed.
Level four: Esteem needs: In the case of David, because he was suffering from the traumatic event of separation from his loved one, he was suffering from loneliness and not willing to place that kind of loneliness on others. Psychological manipulation is also possible here leaving the victim vulnerable.
A look at how stalking damages our aspects of life.
1) Physical: Physically, Again, many psychological injuries show up in our bodies in physical ways: ulcers, stress, eating habits, etc. In the case of my friend, she had to move. This adds the stressors of moving.
2) Emotional: routine is compromised. A person may become afraid to frequent one’s usual places for fear of running into the stalker.
3) Psychological: She did not know how long he had been stalking her or what his intentions were.
4) Cognitive: Again there is stress. There is a violation which reduces cognitive skills.
5) Spiritual: the stalker can wear a person down. The following of the victim to church, violating the sacred place.
6) Sexual: if there is no assault, this should remain undamaged, yet assault is possible.
7) Financial: The potential of identity theft is present, she had to move.
8) Relational: How can we trust?
9) Social: How can we trust?
10) Environmental: This is unhealthy.
Generations