In recent years, reports of gang stalking—a term used to describe coordinated harassment and surveillance of an individual—have surfaced across online forums, advocacy groups, and even legal cases. While some dismiss gang stalking as a conspiracy theory, others, including psychologists and criminal justice experts, argue that it is a growing concern that warrants investigation.
The Valley News interviewed a woman who has been reported as a victim of gang stalking. While she remains anonymous, here is a very abbreviated description of what she has experienced. Her main concern is that privacy laws have not kept up with technology.
Gang stalking sometimes referred to as organized stalking, is described as the repeated and systematic harassment of an individual by multiple people. This harassment can take various forms, including:
- Surveillance: The targeted person may be watched, followed, or monitored in their daily activities.
- Harassment: Strange phone calls, online trolling, smear campaigns, and workplace sabotage are commonly reported.
- Community Targeting: It may include groups participating in an orchestrated effort to isolate and intimidate them.
Victims often report psychological distress, difficulty maintaining employment, and even homelessness due to the relentless nature of the harassment.
While hard data specifically on gang stalking is limited, stalking as a broader phenomenon is well-documented by the Bureau of Justice:
- According to the U.S. Department of Justice, about 1 in 6 women and 1 in 17 men experience stalking in their lifetime.
- 76% of female homicide victims killed by an intimate partner were stalked before their deaths, per the National Institute of Justice.
- In a study by the National Center for Victims of Crime, 46% of stalking victims reported fearing not only for their safety but also for the safety of their family.
Some mental health professionals view gang stalking claims through the lens of psychiatric conditions:
Some experts believe that organized harassment exists but may be mislabeled as paranoia due to the psychological impact it has on victims. Research also indicates that individuals reporting gang stalking often exhibit signs consistent with delusional disorders, complicating things for authorities responding to reports. pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
Legally, stalking and harassment are crimes in all 50 U.S. states, but proving organized, coordinated stalking is far more difficult. Some victims claim that law enforcement ignores their complaints, attributing their experiences to overactive imaginations or mental illness.
However, there have been documented cases from the 1950s to the 1970s when coordinated harassment campaigns, such as workplace mobbing and COINTELPRO, the FBI’s secret surveillance program that targeted activists and dissidents.
The debate continues: Is gang stalking a modern form of social control, or is it a form of “gaming” between hackers?
For those who believe they are targets, the impact is real—whether or not the phenomenon itself is fully proven or understood. Experts encourage individuals experiencing persistent stalking or harassment to document incidents, seek support, and report suspicious activities to authorities.
One thing is for sure. Privacy laws have not kept up with technology and while victims suffer the consequences of stalking, the legal system struggles to keep up with technology that it may not even fully understand.
