Digitaalkurjategijate vaimse profiili koostamine on tuvastanud, et jälitajaid motiveerivad psühholoogilised ja sotsiaalsed tegurid: kadedus, patoloogiline kinnisidee (professionaalne või seksuaalne); tööpuudus või ebaõnnestumine oma töö või eluga; kavatsus hirmutada ja tekitada teistes alaväärsust; jälitaja on eksiarvamusel ja usub, et "tunneb" sihtmärki; jälitaja soovib oma staatuse õigustamiseks inimesesse hirmu sisendada; veendumus, et nad ei jää vahele; hirmutamine rahalise eelise või ärikonkurentsi pärast; kättemaks tajutud või ettekujutatud tagasilükkamise eest.
Mental profiling of digital criminals has identified psychological and social factors that motivate stalkers as: [[envy]]; pathological obsession (professional or sexual); unemployment or failure with own job or life; intention to intimidate and cause others to feel inferior; the stalker is [[delusional]] and believes he/she "knows" the target; the stalker wants to instill fear in a person to justify his/her status; belief they can get away with it (anonymity); intimidation for financial advantage or business competition; revenge over perceived or imagined rejection.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.trutv.com/library/crime/criminal_mind/psychology/cyberstalking/3.html |title=Cyber-Stalking: Obsessional Pursuit and the Digital Criminal |author=Wayne Petherick |access-date=10 December 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090209045152/http://trutv.com/library/crime/criminal_mind/psychology/cyberstalking/3.html |archive-date=9 February 2009 |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://quitstalkingme.com/2011/07/28/ten-reasons-why-someone-is-stalking-you-online/ |title=Ten Reasons Why Someone is Stalking You Online |work=Quitstalkingme.com |author=Quit Stalking Me<!-- that's their username, apparently --> |date=28 July 2011 |access-date=10 December 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131212185517/http://quitstalkingme.com/2011/07/28/ten-reasons-why-someone-is-stalking-you-online/ |archive-date=12 December 2013 |url-status=dead }}</ref>
