Obsessive Behaviour and Stalking Research

In our film opening, our protagonist is a killer who stalks her victims and shows obsessive traits in her personality. To ensure that the portrayal of this character is accurate and also effective, I researched obsessive and stalking behaviour. These are some points that I thought would be relevant to the antagonist's character:

• Obsession is defined as: 'Intrusive, repetitive thoughts, images or impulses that are unacceptable and/or unwanted'.
• Some psychologists believe that obsessions are caused by misinterpretations of the significance of a person's intrusive thoughts.
• Obsessions can be linked to anxiety disorders, e.g. obsessive compulsive disorder.
• Obsessive behaviour can be stimulated by aversive emotions like fear or disgust which leads to avoidance behaviour.
• Generally most people with obsessional traits are more socially conforming and less likely to take risks than the average person.
• Many people who behave obsessively often have a 'perfectionist' personality trait wherein they feel the need to get everything right.
• Stalkers can be classified into psychotic and non psychotic stalkers.
• Psychotic stalkers may have suffered from psychotic disorders previously such as delusional disorder or schizophrenia.
• Female stalkers often target other women while male stalkers are equally as like to stalk other men as as they are to stalk women.
• There are 5 types of stalkers:

1. Rejected stalkers
2. Resentful stalkers
3. Intimacy seekers
4. Incompetent suitors
5. Predatory stalkers

• Predatory stalkers do not want a relationship with their victims but seek to control them through assault (physically and/or sexually).
• Stalking is a behaviour that can be present in people with mental disorders, but is not an actual mental disorder itself.

All of this information is useful because it is relevant to the characteristics we have already decided our antagonist will have, which include:

• Being a predatory stalker
• Classified as a psychotic stalker
• Behaviour stimulated by averse emotions of disgust of her own appearance and fear of being ugly and old