August 2009

Stalking By Definition

The U.S. has no consistent, universal definition of stalking. While the definitions may vary, all U.S. states do have anti-stalking laws. Virtually any unwanted, relatively continuous contact initiated by an individual, that directly or indirectly communicates a threat or causes fear in the victim, can be considered stalking.

The U.S. National Center for Victims of Crime (NCVC) classifies stalkers into two categories: Love Obsessed and Simple Obsessed. A love obsessed stalker is defined as being fixated on another person with whom they have no relationship. In contrast, a simple obsessed stalker has had some type of prior relationship with his or her target.

Stalking Facts

In January 2009, the U.S. Department of Justice and Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS) released Stalking Victimization in the United States, a major national study on stalking. According to this study, during one 12-month period, 3.4 million people identified themselves as victims of stalking.

This study also concluded that:

• 1 in 4 victims reported that their stalkers had used technology (e-mail, instant messaging, etc.) to follow and/or harass them.
• 1 in 13 victims said their stalker had used electronic devices (GPS, video cameras, etc.) to intrude on their lives.
• 1 in 7 victims moved in order to protect themselves.
• Approximately 130,000 victims claimed they had been fired or asked to leave their job because of the stalking.
• 1 in 8 lost time from work because they feared for their safety or were seeking methods to protect themselves (protection orders, etc.).
• 46% of stalking victims experienced at least one unwanted contact per week.
• 11% of victims claimed to have been stalked for 5 years or longer.

The Stalking Resource Center (SRC) works to solve the kinds of problems raised by this report. The SRC is part of the U.S. National Center for Victims of Crime (NCVC). For information and/or victim assistance, visit http://www.ncvc.org/src/Main.aspx, e-mail gethelp@ncvc.org or call 1-800-FYI-CALL Monday through Friday, 8:30 AM � 8:30 PM EST.

A Man Obsessed: Rebecca Schaeffer�s Stalker

Rebecca Schaeffer was the victim of a stalking that ended tragically. Schaeffer was twenty-one, an actress on the 1980s television sitcom My Sister Sam, and was quickly growing in popularity. An increasing amount of fan mail arrived for Schaeffer and she tried to respond personally to each. Sadly, this act of graciousness would lead to her death.

In 1986, Robert John Bardo was sixteen and working as a janitor for a fast food restaurant in Arizona. He became a fan of the show My Sister Sam and soon became obsessed with the character of Patti, played by Schaeffer. Bardo built a shrine to her in his bedroom, using media photos and videotapes of her shows.

Like many fans, Bardo wrote to Rebecca Schaeffer several times. She responded personally to his letters. On one of the letters she sent him, she drew a peace sign, a heart, and signed it, �With love from Rebecca�. Robert John Bardo took that message too literally. The day he received it, he wrote in his diary, �When I think of her, I would like to become famous to impress her.�

In 1987, Bardo traveled to the Burbank Studios, where My Sister Sam was produced, carrying a teddy bear and a bouquet of roses for Schaeffer. The guard refused to allow Bardo inside. A month later he returned with a knife and was once again denied entrance. Regarding these incidents, in his diary Bardo wrote, �I don�t lose. Period.�

In 1989, Bardo saw Schaeffer�s new movie Class Struggle in Beverly Hills, in which Rebecca Schaeffer had a scene in bed with a male actor. This infuriated Bardo and he decided Schaeffer needed to be punished for her immorality. He drew a diagram of her body, marking the spots where he planned to shoot her.

On July 18, 1989, a series of events led Robert John Bardo to Rebecca Schaeffer�s apartment, where he buzzed her front door and announced himself as her biggest fan. She asked him to leave and closed the door. A few minutes later he buzzed again. This time, when she opened the door, he shot her in the chest. Bardo then boarded a bus and returned to Tucson, Arizona.

Prior to the shooting, Bardo had told his sister of his intent to visit Schaeffer. He�d written a note stating, �I have an obsession with the unattainable. I have to eliminate what I cannot attain.� When Bardo�s sister heard about Rebecca Schaeffer�s murder, she turned her brother in to the police.

Robert John Bardo says of the incident, �She had this kid voice� sounded like a little brat or something� said I was wasting her time! Wasting her time! No matter what, I thought that was a very callous thing to say to a fan, you know� I grabbed the door� gun still in the bag� I grab it by the trigger� I come around, and kapow, and she�s like screaming� aaahhh� screaming� why, aaahhh� and it�s like, oh God��

Robert John Bardo was extradited to California to stand trial. He was convicted of capital murder in a non-jury courtroom and sentenced to life without parole. Bardo told the judge, �The idea I killed her for fame is totally ridiculous. I do realize the magnitude of what I�ve done. I don�t think it needs to be compounded by a bunch of lies because she�s an actress.�