A number of practicing psychologists have become victims of threats and/or harassment from clients. This preliminary study provides descriptive information for a group of psychologists and their experiences with clients who have stalked them. Results revealed that (a) there is no specific profile for the psychologists who had been stalked; (b) the stalked psychologists subsequently employed significantly more safety measures than those who had not; and (c) the clients who stalked were usually single, likely had mood and/or personality disorder diagnoses, childhood relationship disturbances, and/or recent major stressors. The findings suggest that psychologists who work with clients may benefit from a heightened awareness of the potential danger that clients pose. The implementation of safety measures to deter unwanted client contact is discussed. Some mental health professionals who deal regularly with individuals having mental or emotional difficulties have become the victims of stalking by their clients (Corder & Whiteside, 1996;Lion & Herschler, 1998;Romans, Hays, & White, 1996). Though data concerning the prevalence of stalking from these studies varies from 5.6 to 13%, the data suggest that further research in this area is needed, as studies show that stalking can lead in some cases to physical violence and even murder (Tjaden & Thoennes, 1997). However, even when stalking does not lead to physical violence, the emotional ramifications of being stalked can be substantial (Brown, Dubin, Lion, & Garry, 1996;Corder & Whiteside, 1996).In 1990, California was the first state to enact an antistalking law as the direct result of the murder of actress Rebecca Schaeffer and the physical attack on actress Teresa Saldana (Saunders, 1998). The high-profile nature of these two crimes prompted the state to enact the first laws against stalking in January 1991. By 1993, 49 states had passed laws against stalking behavior, and presently all 50 states have some form of antistalking law. Though STEVEN R. GENTILE received his PsyD in clinical psychology from Pepperdine University in 2001. He is currently a postdoctoral fellow at Children's Hospital in New Orleans, LA.

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