Predatory stalking is the most dangerous and deliberate form of stalking. In this episode, we discuss stalking rooted in entitlement, power, and control where the behavior is intentional from the beginning.

Victims are often strangers, and stalking may involve surveillance, targeting, and information-gathering that can escalate into sexual violence. We explain why this type of stalking must always be taken seriously and why survivors’ instincts are critical to safety.

This episode centers accountability, affirms survivor experiences, and underscores that predatory stalking is never about attraction it is about power and control.

Understanding this pattern helps survivors trust their instincts and prioritize safety.

Stalking Risk Profile. (n.d.). Types of stalking. https://www.stalkingriskprofile.com/what-is-stalking/types-of-stalking

Host: Tina Johnson

If you are in an emergency, call or text 9-1-1.

For information about our services and how Hope House can help, call our 24-Hour Hotline at 816-461-HOPE (4673) or the National Domestic Violence Hotline 800-799-7233.

hopehouse.net

Episode 4: The Incompetent Suitor

The incompetent suitor is a type of stalker whose behavior is often minimized as awkwardness, misunderstanding, or “not knowing better.” In this episode, we explore stalking driven by loneliness or desire, where the goal is access not connection.

We discuss why repeated advances after rejection are harmful, how distress is often ignored or dismissed, and how social pressure frequently shifts responsibility onto the victim. The episode also addresses disability and neurodiversity with care making clear that understanding context never excuses harm.

This conversation reinforces that discomfort is a valid boundary and that survivors are not responsible for educating others at the expense of their safety.

Understanding this pattern helps survivors trust their instincts and prioritize safety.

Stalking Risk Profile. (n.d.). Types of stalking. https://www.stalkingriskprofile.com/what-is-stalking/types-of-stalking

Host: Tina Johnson

If you are in an emergency, call or text 9-1-1.

For information about our services and how Hope House can help, call our 24-Hour Hotline at 816-461-HOPE (4673) or the National Domestic Violence Hotline 800-799-7233.

hopehouse.net

Episode 3: The Intimacy-Seeking Stalker

Intimacy-seeking stalking is often misunderstood and dangerously romanticized. In this episode, we examine stalking that arises from loneliness, fixation, and a false belief that a relationship exists or is destined to exist despite clear lack of consent.

Victims are usually strangers or acquaintances, and in some cases the behavior is fueled by delusional beliefs, such as erotomanic thinking. We discuss why unwanted pursuit is not affection, how fantasy replaces reality, and why consent is always required for connection.

This episode challenges cultural myths that excuse obsession and reinforces that survivors are never responsible for managing someone else’s beliefs or emotions.

Understanding this pattern helps survivors trust their instincts and prioritize safety.

Host: Tina Johnson

If you are in an emergency, call or text 9-1-1.

For information about our services and how Hope House can help, call our 24-Hour Hotline at 816-461-HOPE (4673) or the National Domestic Violence Hotline 800-799-7233.

hopehouse.net