The recent firestorm of allegations made by several female actors of unwanted sexual advances and rape seems to have exposed yet another powerful man, Harvey Weinstein, as an apparent sexual predator. Like that of his counterpart Anthony Weiner (and the alleged conduct of Bill Cosby), Weinstein’s alleged predation appears to have been fully calculated. Different than the garden-variety rapist who looks for opportunity in the moment, then lunges in an adrenaline high at his victim, such men in power deliberately orchestrate a scenario forcing their prey to service their deepest, darkest perversions and to remain silent.
These men have ample opportunity to groom the innocent by garnering their trust, seducing them with false promises, and banking that their terror of exposure will keep the victims from exposing the perpetrator. The predator, of course, knows that where he leads, the vulnerable prey must follow because they want or need something from him. When the predator finally strikes, the victim becomes disorientated — a trusted, admired other has violated her. Sexual acts happen swiftly, sending the victim into a haze of confusion or freezing her ability to move or to determine what’s okay and what’s not in that one moment.
Purposely evoking shock and fear in another is an act of violence. And masturbating or showering in front of a female who doesn’t want to watch exemplifies that act. Wielding enormous power, such a perpetrator controls his victim in a cat-and-mouse dynamic that, to his sadistic delight and sexual arousal, psychologically tortures her. The more she begs him to stop or exhibits humiliation, the more aroused he gets.
[For more on this story by, Alexandra Katehakis go to https://psychcentral.com/blog/...en-in-the-workplace/]
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