What Makes Someone Predisposed to Stalking and the Shifting Threat Landscape

Stalkers tend to exhibit similar behaviors and mannerisms — more or less an unhealthy fixation with an individual or group. But what causes or makes these individuals predisposed to stalking? The answer is not an easy one and it’s a topic that Dr. Reid Meloy, forensic psychologist, author, and co-founder of WAVR-21, has made it a key part of his mission to detect threats so we can prevent the next attack. 

In this episode, Fred and Dr. Meloy discuss what causes people to fixate on public figures, celebrities, and CEOs.  After spending the first part of his career in criminal litigation, he has dedicated the second half to prevention, or detecting pre-incident indicators before individuals have the opportunity to carry out acts of violence. With people living and operating online and on the ground, the ability to capture more is getting harder, and he shares that technology is playing a critical role in separating the signal from the noise. 

Dr. Meloy is a board-certified forensic psychologist (ABPP) and consults on criminal and civil cases throughout the U.S. and Europe. He is a clinical professor of psychiatry at the University of California, San Diego, School of Medicine, and a faculty member of the San Diego Psychoanalytic Center. Along with Dr. Stephen White, he created the WAVR-21 V3, a structured professional judgment instrument for targeted workplace violence.

Episode Notes: 

Learn more about Dr. Meloy, visit his website here

View his book, co-edited book with Drs. Hoffmann and Sheridan, Stalking, Threatening and Attacking Public Figures (Oxford University Press, 2008)

View his most recent book (co-edited by Dr. Hoffman) here: International Handbook of Threat Assessment (Oxford University Press, 2014)

To learn about WAVR-21, co-founded by Dr. Meloy, here: www.wavr21.com