A Review of Statutes and the Role of the Forensic Psychiatrist in Cyberstalking Involving Youth

Adolescents are increasingly exposed to Internet-facilitated crime as they spend more time online. The mental health risks and legal consequences for youth involved in cyberstalking are growing areas of concern. The nature of online stalking presents several challenges regarding investigation, fair adjudication, fact-finding, and legislation. Laws governing online stalking behaviors inconsistently reference the age of a victim or perpetrator as a factor for consideration in case disposition. During adjudication, the forensic psychiatrist may be asked to evaluate the victim or perpetrator involved in cyberstalking. This article focuses on the current legal landscape governing cyberstalking behavior involving adolescents, the roles a forensic psychiatrist may assume in this context, and the opportunity to bring a developmental perspective to these cases. Paul Elizondo, DO, Dale E. McNiel, PhD, and Rene´e Binder, MD

Stalkers: Violence Risk Assessment by David Y. Kan, MD

Dr. David Kan, a forensic psychiatrist and Assistant Clinical Professor of Psychiatry, Ft. Miley VA Medical Center, University of California , San Francisco, created this PowerPoint slide presentation on Risk Assessment of Stalkers for a talk he gave on 11-17-04. To download a pdf version of Dr. Kan’s PowerPoint presentation, click here: Download Stalker_Talk_11-17-04.pdf