Stalking & Harassment Investigation

Types of Stalking

These days, stalking can come in many forms. A culprit may make unwanted contact by loitering near the person's home, workplace or a social venue in order to watch, follow, or approach a targeted person. A pattern of incidents at home, such as trespassing, break-ins, theft or damage of property, or other unusual occurrences can be indicators of a stalker targeting a person at their home.

Obsessed individuals can also use electronic devices and software to track the movements of a target, such as by fitting a tracking device to a vehicle or by installing covert software applications on mobile phones or devices.

In the digital age, stalkers often engage in unwanted communications through the use of telephone calls, text messages, emails, social media posts, letters or faxes in order to harass, intimidate, or threaten the affected person. Similarly, unwanted gifts, such as flowers or other items, which are often symbolic, may be left at the person's home to convey that the stalker knows where the victim is and what he or she is doing.

In certain circumstances, stalking can lead to more serious crimes and, in extreme cases, can result in injury or death to the victim and/or the victim's associates. If you are a victim of some type of harassment, monitoring, unwanted communication, surveillance or stalking, you should therefore never take it lightly. Naturally, if you believe you are being stalked and/or you have evidence of that stalking (and the identity of the perpetrator) then you should consider advising the police. Like in many other areas however, the police do not always have the resources to be able to take effective action, tailored to your circumstances.

Lyonswood's Stalking Expert

Lyonswood's stalking expert, a former New South Wales Police Force detective, has been trained by the FBI to behaviourally analyse the interpersonal crimes of violent offenders. She is a board-certified Criminal Profiler experienced in profiling violent crimes and assessing threatening behaviour and communications.

In recent years, the expert has specialised in Behavioural Threat Assessment and Management, a globally-recognised best practice technique used to assess the threat posed by a person to a person, group, or place. This technique is underpinned by extensive threat and violence risk research and is used by trained personnel in many law enforcement agencies, security organisations, governments, universities, and corporates around the world.

The expert is also certified to use structured professional judgment instruments that assess Stalking Risk, General Violence Risk, Workplace Violence Risk, Violence Risk Triaging, and Victim Safety Assessment and Planning.