The ol' Kirk Van Houten?

June 28, 2006 6:14 AM

Is there a specific socio-/psychological term for women who do this? Does it ever happen with the genders reversed?
posted by kittyprecious to human relations (7 comments total)

It can happen with the reverse, yes. I believe it did with Karla Homolka.
posted by dobbs at 7:04 AM on June 28, 2006

I would think a case could be made that it was the "femininized" version of stalking -- not that women can't stalk people, but that the emphasis on marriage and idealized emotional attachment these women are showing, plus the lack of threats of violence, fall into the stereotypical way woman want to connect with others.

Or it could just be a mild form of stalking, period.

But I am just speculating here.
posted by occhiblu at 7:08 AM on June 28, 2006

dobbs: When Karla met Paul Bernardo, she was 17 and he was 23. I don't believe Bernardo had a criminal record at that point either (much less a prison record). In any case, I don't really think it's analogous to what kittyprecious is talking about.
posted by stinkycheese at 11:52 AM on June 28, 2006

A lot of women have a thing for "tough guys." Some guys have a thing for "tomboys," but that seems a bit less common.
posted by Afroblanco at 1:23 PM on June 28, 2006

stinkycheese, huh? Karla was in prison. She received love letters from men while she was there; men she hadn't met prior. Isn't that exactly what kittyprecious is asking about? No, she didn't marry any of them but...
posted by dobbs at 1:34 PM on June 28, 2006

I think Homolka received letters, but also struck up a relationship with Jean-Paul Gerbet, who was also incarcerated.
posted by acoutu at 1:51 PM on June 28, 2006

dobbs: Sorry, I misunderstood - thought you were talking about the initial hook-up between Karla and Paul.
posted by stinkycheese at 6:28 PM on June 29, 2006