Mullen-Pathé Five-Class Typology
Definition
Stalker typology from a Forensicare clinical sample (1999): rejected, intimacy-seeking, incompetent suitor, resentful, and predatory. Rejected and predatory subtypes carry the highest violence risk; intimacy-seeking has the highest mental-disorder prevalence.
- Source study
- Forensicare clinical sample, 1999
- Number of classes
- 5
- Classes
- Rejected, intimacy-seeking, incompetent suitor, resentful, predatory
- Highest violence risk
- Rejected and predatory subtypes
- Highest disorder prevalence
- Intimacy-seeking subtype
Common questions
How is this typology used in a threat assessment?+
Classifying a stalker into one of the five categories helps predict the likely course of the behaviour and the risk of physical violence, since the rejected and predatory types escalate to assault far more often than the incompetent suitor type.
Can a stalker fit more than one category?+
Yes, motivations can overlap or shift over time, for example a rejected stalker whose fixation persists past the relationship's end can present features closer to the resentful or predatory pattern as the case develops.
Related terms
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- Stalking Risk Profile (SRP)
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