It is someone who maliciously, willfully, and repeatedly follows or harasses another person and who poses a credible threat to that person's safety. These fantasies may be love oriented or angry and vengeful. They have difficulty communicating directly with people, and become easily overwhelmed by a real or imagined sense of rejection. What they lack in social skills is made up in their ability to carefully plan stalking behaviors. Stalkers are often masterful at terrorizing their victims.
Stalkers can be either male or female.
In most stalking cases, the stalker and the victim know each other. Stalkers are obsessed and will act repetitively. The most common behavior is conducted by phone and by mail. It is not uncommon to see daily phone and letter contact. Typically, a stalker will begin with phone calls, letters, and deliveries of unwanted gifts.