**We've started a new anonymous form for anyone to share their stalking experiences (men or women) and any questions you may want to ask privately**
Anonymous Form: www.limelightpod.com
Okay, look. This wasn't something we thought we would share, however, instances like these are extremely under reported (involving female stalkers) and since our podcast is about bringing important topics into the limelight, we felt it was important to put this one out.
We felt it was important to share some details on narcissistic behaviour, which is often different between men and women, and the context of how I actually met this person.
This episode is just part 1 of the full story. It is up until things get significantly weirder and the real stalking began. If the story ended here, it wouldn't be much of a story and we wouldn't share it. However, things started escalating and we share it all in part 2.
Context is important in any story, which is why we are starting with it.
The reality is that women stalk at the same rate as men do, but it's never talked about.
When you search for videos about someone being stalked, most videos are of women sharing their stories.
Some facts about female stalkers (thanks to Dr. Tara J. Palmatier, PsyD - Shrink4Men):
- Women engage in stalking behaviours at equal rates to men
- Male victims are far less likely to report or recognize it as stalking (which is true in this story)
- Female-perpetrated stalking is often minimized, dismissed, or treated as humorous
- Law enforcement frequently doesn't take male victims seriously
- Women favour electronic stalking over physical surveillance
- More "creatively aggressive" in their stalking methods
- Female stalkers target both men and women indiscriminately (male stalkers typically target women)
- Ex-intimate partner stalking is the most dangerous and persistent type
- Average stalking duration can last up to 7 years- More motivated by desire to establish/maintain relationships
- Show same propensity for threats and violence as male stalkers
- Often maintain "perfect" public image while terrorizing victim privatelyWhy are female stalkers under reported?
- Male victims often fear ridicule
- Police frequently dismiss complaints
- Some victims told they should be "flattered" by attention
- Society often doesn't view female stalking as serious
- Male victims often lack support systems
A more in depth summary of this episode:
In this episode, we dive into the beginning of a real stalking story from a male victim's perspective - something rarely discussed in today's society.Similar to the Sweet Bobby scandal (which we covered in Episode 13) where Simran Bhogal created an elaborate web of deception, this story shows how psychological manipulation and gaslighting can happen to anyone. What started as what seemed to be a normal dating experience, turned out to reveal toxic relationship patterns and red flags that would later turn into full-blown stalking.
We go over the the early warning signs of narcissistic behaviour, boundary violations, and manipulation tactics that weren't obvious at first. There isn't much love bombing, possessive behaviour, unwanted attention, and eventual harassment in Part 1, because we've kept that for the next part of this story. The full story shows how stalkers will use psychological abuse and control to maintain power over their victims.
We start off talking about how female stalkers usually get overlooked, leading to victim blaming and dismissal of serious privacy violations and criminal behaviour.
We go over the psychological impact of stalking, while providing insight into coping strategies and self-protection measures. We want to raise awareness about stalking behaviours because you may have to deal with this, regardless of your gender and want to empower others to spot early warning signs.
Stalking awareness, male victims, psychological manipulation, toxic relationships, online harassment, personal safety
