Public figures require attention, whether from a constituency who votes them in or out of office, shareholders who decide their economic benefit to the corporation, or fans who judge their performances. However, on the periphery of this normal attention resides a very real risk; that of a much smaller group of individuals who lack the ability to discriminate between their own private fantasies and the figure's public behavior. They may be personally insulted by perceived betrayal, fanatically in love due to a perceived affectionate or sexual invitation, or simply preoccupied with the daily life of the public figure. Such individuals may fixate and do nothing more. Others communicate or approach in a disturbing way. A few will threaten. And on rare occasions, one will breach the public figure's security perimeter and attack.
Stalking, Threatening, and Attacking Public Figures is a comprehensive survey of the current knowledge about stalking, violence risk, and threat management towards public figures. With contributions from forensic psychologists and psychiatrists, clinicians, researchers, attorneys, profilers, and current and former law enforcement enforcement professionals, this book is the first of its kind, international in scope, and rich in both depth and complexity.
The book is divided into three sections which, in turn, focus upon defining, explaining, and risk managing this increasingly complex global reality. Chapters include detailed case studies, analyses of quantitative data, reflections from attachment theory and psychoanalytic thought, descriptions of law enforcement and protective organization activities, mental health and psychiatric categorizations andunderstandings, consideration of risk assessment models and variables, victim perspectives, and others.

Stalking and Psychosexual Obsession is a comprehensive and international survey of what is known about stalking and psychosexual harassment today, presenting research and theory never before assembled in one volume.

Julian Boon and Lorraine Sheridan have expertly drawn together key authors from the diverse spheres of psychology, psychiatry, the police and the law to provide new insights into this complex, disturbing and socially-relevant phenomenon.

Features include:

• Discussion of victimology, violence, risk assessment and case-management issues

• A new stalker classificatory system that offers advice on how to identify different types of stalkers with different intervention strategies suggested for each case

• Aspects of therapeutic intervention for both stalking offenders and their victims, cyberstalking, global legal contexts, and the special cases of stalking as it relates to female and juvenile perpetrators

"What a pleasant surprise to have read a coherant and informational book on stalking. Unlike many other purported scholarly books and papers, this book has produced what is known and unknown to the readers. That is, the book is a foundation on which others may learn and build the future. Also, it could serve as a benchmark for future writing to be added, edited and measured." Richard Walter, Director, Omega Crime Assessment Group, Pennsylvania, USA

"On behalf of many victims, thank you for writing such a comprehensive, accurate book about stalkers, victims and the effects and causes of stalking. I feel so privileged to know and have worked alongside many names in this book who are, in my estimation, all true experts in this field." Tracey Morgan, Director, Network for Surviving Stalking