The phenomenon of stalking:

a case study based on a victim’s lived experience

Abstract

This article focuses on the phenomenon of stalking as experienced by a victim, analyzed through a case study conducted in the Valódia neighborhood in Luanda, Angola, in 2025. The research seeks to understand how technological advancement can amplify practices of persistent harassment, as well as to identify the motivations, behavioral patterns of the stalker, and the psychosocial consequences for the victim. The central objective is to analyze stalking as a form of repeated aggression and harassment, characterizing in the case under study the figure of the rejected stalker, motivated by the non-acceptance of the end of a relationship. A qualitative, exploratory methodology was adopted, drawing on systematic direct participant observation and semi-structured interviews applied to a non-probabilistic intentional sample consisting of one victim. Data analysis was grounded in phenomenological, dialectical, and inductive methods. The results reveal practices such as telephone tapping, monitoring of daily routines, and the repeated sending of intimidatory messages, with significant impacts on the victim's psychological health, namely anxiety, panic attacks, emotional instability, and interpersonal distrust. It is concluded that stalking constitutes a serious form of interpersonal violence, reinforced by communication technologies, demanding greater scientific and institutional attention in the Angolan context.