Korean Journal of Addiction Psychology

Abstract

In October 2021, the「Act on the Punishment of Stalking Crimes」came into force, and in July 2023, amendments were made to strengthen the punishment of stalkers and prevent recurrence. Stalking has been considered minor as ‘continuous harassment’ under the「Misdemeanor Punishment Act」in the past, but the stalking punishment law has been strengthened and social awareness of the concept and seriousness of stalking has improved. Nevertheless, the number of stalking 112 reports is increasing every year, and some have developed into retaliatory and violent crimes, requiring effective measures to prevent recidivism of stalking crimes. Although stalking crimes are emerging as a social problem, domestic studies on the subject of stalking are only focused on related laws and victim protection, and there is a lack of research on perpetrators and prevention of repeat offenses. In this study, we reviewed domestic and foreign previous studies to explore the types and characteristics of stalking crimes and examined factors that can induce criminal motivation, such as the early development stage, attachment formation, and personality structure of stalking offenders. The results of the study showed that stalking offenders grew up in an environment lacking empathic response and attachment, developing a vulnerable and pathological self. The persistence and compulsion of stalking crimes can be understood as an addictive behavior in which the perpetrator excessively relies on a certain object to avoid and defend his or her own shortcomings. Accordingly, this study regarded stalking behavior as a narcissistic behavior disorder and attempted to understand it from the perspective of object relations theory and Kohut's self-psychology.

Abstract