Women Stalking Women: Treat Her Like a Male Stalker, Report to Police

StalkingPhoto byMika BaumeisteronUnsplash

(This article is an opinion-based subject matter supported by references. It is the views of Kimberly F. Brown, also known as Brown on Cleveland. The views expressed do not reflect the views or opinions of NewsBreak or its affiliates)

Cuyahoga County, OH. - Fear is scary. It is an unknown feeling that causes paranoia and shifty mood swings. The mere idea that a person is afraid to move around in what is supposed to be a safe environment is an act of frustration, anger, and resentment to be in places and familiar spaces.

"Everywhere I go, she is there. She bothers me all the time. She wants me to meet with her; then she bullies me. She lies about me, and now she has created an avenue to invade my professional workspace. I can't breathe without this woman always in my face. It's a scary situation; people will probably say I overreact if I say something. I am not. Something is seriously wrong with this person. What am I supposed to do? She will not go away," a close ally reported.

I recently had this conversation with a friend who is also considered a local celebrity. Not knowing how to help her and guide her to safety, I looked up the characteristics of stalking, harassment, bullying, and intimidation.

What would cause a woman to stalk another woman?

Although "the average stalker is a male in his forties, stalking by women is not uncommon," says the American Journal of Psychiatry. The Journal also notes that despite the frequency with which women engage in stalking, the police may not take the complaints seriously. "However, in the case of same-gender stalking by women, the sexual orientation of both the victim and the perpetrator is frequently questioned, with authorities often inappropriately assuming a homosexual motive, which may not be the case. The mere fact that this is the first assertion that comes to mind is ludicrous. Within the empirical data, the lack of seriousness put forth on this issue suggests that stalking by women has yet to offer the degree of seriousness attached to harassment executed by men."

After asking several of my colleagues why women stalk other women, most stated it's because of jealousy, insecurity, low self-esteem, and envy. The four words resonated throughout the day. To be clear, before I searched the traits of women who stalk other women, I wanted to have a clear understanding of each word and the reasoning behind each notion, according to Psychology Today -

• Jealousy- The underlying message of "She's just jealous" is that there is something that another woman admires about you, and she, therefore, treats you badly.
• Insecurity - Excessive jealousy: Insecurity can manifest as jealousy and possessiveness. An insecure woman may feel threatened by other people.. Low self-esteem: Insecure individuals often have a negative self-image and low self-worth. (Good Therapy.org)
• Envy - "Our envy says more about us than it does about the target of our envy." Envy is often defined as some degree of discontent we experience regarding another's possessions, advantages, achievements, traits, etc. (Psychology Today). In other words, the envious person wants to be the person they are attacking and obsessed with.

Regardless of the characteristics, the idea of stalking is a mindblowing, dangerous situation not to be taken lightly. We are all too familiar with men stalking women, but women stalking women is just as harmful, and it should be reported.

As I further explored the notion of women stalking women, I came to discover several characteristics that we cannot ignore: the profile of the perpetrator and signs of stalking, according to Medical News Today: (While not always aggressive or harmful, the behavior is typically distressing and intimidating for the person being stalked.)

• Persistent unwanted contact. ...
• Inappropriate fixation or obsession. ...
• Surveillance and monitoring. ...
• Aggressive or intrusive behavior. ...
• Unwanted gifts or messages.
• When visiting places, they often go to spy on them
• Following a person as they go about their daily tasks
• Attempting to get into their workspace: creating sessions (with authority) to be in the victim's space - make any excuse to be in the person's presence

Let's be clear: it does not matter the perpetrators' occupation, community status, or sexual orientation - a stalker is a stalker, and they intend to intimidate, frighten, bully, and perhaps cause the victim social and emotional harm. As we know, scary feelings bring about outcomes that can be fatal.

The National Library of Medicine says, "Female stalkers tend to target people that they know, and they are capable of threatening their victims and even becoming violent. We must be cautious not to underestimate women's potential for violence secondary to gender bias."

My advice, if you are being stalked, is to keep a log, do not meet with the alleged person (stalker) alone, notify your family, file a police report, and protect yourself: you deserve to live your life free of harassment, bullying, intimidation, and stalking.

Unfortunately, some women do stalk other women; let's not pretend they don't and will not cause their victim physical harm. Please don't become a victim of their nonsense.