NCJ Number
188308
Date Published
2000
Length
8 pages
Annotation
This paper focuses on treatment for stalkers, particularly a "functional analytic" approach to the problem; two cases are used to illustrate the method, one involving an individual seen by the author in the year 2000, and a person recently treated in a psychiatric hospital in Colorado.
Abstract
There are two primary issues that must be addressed when treating a stalker: "Why is the behavior occurring?" and "What will make this behavior stop?" The central issue is what function is being served by the stalking. Functional analysis provides a means to determine this fundamental issue. The principles of functional analysis posit that the function of a given behavior (stalking in this case) is determined by its consequences. If stalking is reinforced or maintained in some way, it continues. If it is not reinforced, or if it is followed by consequences that punish the behavior, it decreases or ceases. A second principle concerns the events that trigger stalking, the behavior's antecedents. This principle states that if some event precedes stalking that is then rewarded, that event or occurrence will be a trigger for stalking in the future. Once the behavior's "controlling variables" are determined (the contingent antecedents and consequences), treatment can then be geared toward addressing these variables. Two case studies illustrate techniques for working with stalkers by using functional analysis. Techniques include directly asking about the stalking behavior, building an alliance with the stalker, enhancing treatment motivation, and demystifying the stalking. 14 references