JLM: Psych Thread - Professional and Non-Professional Opinions/Theories

[Ollie]

Quote Originally Posted by MomnVA View Post
"Defense won’t seek psychiatric evaluation of Jesse Matthew"
http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/...d1394&hpid=z12


Well the game begins;first round,no psych exam for Fairfax case. Which may mean they strike a plea deal. This being JM's first time convicted of any felony ,less time to serve. No one knows what the prosecution has in their case,and no one forms opinions of his guilt. Gives the defense better positioning going into C'ville unknown charges. I predict he pleas Fairfax and then gets psych exam to bolster defense in other cases. Just my opinion of course.

 

[HMSHood]

Attributing Borderline Personality Disorder based on sensitivity to rejection is way off base in my opinion, and LJ does not play out like any BPD person that I've dealt with in mental hospitals or prison. I think that the possible social skills issues that can be comorbid with LD are much more likely...

According to Rick Lavoie:

The research indicates that individuals with learning disabilities:
•are more likely to choose socially unacceptable behaviors in social situations
•are less able to solve social problems
•are less likely to predict consequences for their social behavior
•are less likely to adjust to the characteristics of their listeners in discussions or conversations
•are less able to accomplish complex social interactions successfully (i.e.. persuasion, negotiation, resisting peer pressure, giving/accepting criticism, etc.)
•are more likely to be rejected or isolated by their classmates and peers
•are more often the objects of negative and non-supportive statements, criticisms, warnings and negative nonverbal reactions from teachers
•are less adaptable to new social situations
•are more likely to be judged negatively by adults after informal observation
•receive less affection from parents and siblings
•have less tolerance for frustration and failure
•use oral language that is less mature, meaningful or concise
•have difficulty interpreting or inferring the language of others

I said he had traits for BPD and never suggested in any ways he had BPD.

 

[jrporter]

Not to say that someone with BPD can not be hypersensitive to perceived affronts by others, but it's just not a feature that I think of nor is it a criteria that is specifically mentioned in DSM V:

1.Frantic efforts to avoid real or imagined abandonment
2.A pattern of unstable and intense interpersonal relationships characterized by alternating between extremes of idealization and devaluation
3.Identity disturbance: markedly and persistently unstable self-image or sense of self
4.Impulsivity in at least two areas that are potentially self-damaging (e.g., substance abuse, binge eating, and reckless driving)
5.Recurrent suicidal behavior, gestures, or threats, or self-mutilating behavior
6.Affective instability due to a marked reactivity of mood (e.g., intense episodic dysphoria, irritability, or anxiety usually lasting a few hours and only rarely more than a few days)
7.Chronic feelings of emptiness
8.Inappropriate, intense anger or difficulty controlling anger (e.g., frequent displays of temper, constant anger, recurrent physical fights)
9.Transient, stress-related paranoid ideation or severe dissociative symptoms

However, features 2, 4, 8, and 9 seem to hit LJ on the money and some of the internal attributes may also be accurate. An indication of five or more of the above may indicate a positive diagnosis, but clearly such things can not be done in the absence of additional personal information and actually meeting with the individual...

 

[Ollie]

I think it is hilarious that everyone is trying to diagnose JM mental status from what we have read about him. He was smart enough to get away for years with abhorrent behavior ,he was smart enough, when he looked at his own wanted posters , not to divulge anything. He was smart enough to ask for legal representation before LE ask him a single question;he went to 3 colleges, there is no way anyone who worked, supported himself,bought cars, and knew how to drive the streets,and hide bodies has more than a LD. We all know he has to be a psychopath,to commit the crimes he's accused of and lead a double life of the 'Teddy Bear';just like Gacy,Bundy and others.

 

[SolVol]

Not to say that someone with BPD can not be hypersensitive to perceived affronts by others, but it's just not a feature that I think of nor is it a criteria that is specifically mentioned in DSM V:

1.Frantic efforts to avoid real or imagined abandonment
2.A pattern of unstable and intense interpersonal relationships characterized by alternating between extremes of idealization and devaluation
3.Identity disturbance: markedly and persistently unstable self-image or sense of self
4.Impulsivity in at least two areas that are potentially self-damaging (e.g., substance abuse, binge eating, and reckless driving)
5.Recurrent suicidal behavior, gestures, or threats, or self-mutilating behavior
6.Affective instability due to a marked reactivity of mood (e.g., intense episodic dysphoria, irritability, or anxiety usually lasting a few hours and only rarely more than a few days)
7.Chronic feelings of emptiness
8.Inappropriate, intense anger or difficulty controlling anger (e.g., frequent displays of temper, constant anger, recurrent physical fights)
9.Transient, stress-related paranoid ideation or severe dissociative symptoms

However, features 2, 4, 8, and 9 seem to hit LJ on the money and some of the internal attributes may also be accurate. An indication of five or more of the above may indicate a positive diagnosis, but clearly such things can not be done in the absence of additional personal information and actually meeting with the individual...

RE: DIAGNOSIS - People with mental health problems can have a blend of disorders, symptoms, traits, behavior patterns. Patients/clients can have more than one disorder concurrently. Diagnoses are not always cut and dried, black and white. It would take a battery of tests and multiple interviews to get a precise DSM-V diagnosis of JLM.

JLM has shown these symptoms:
- Self-absorption, self-focus - concerned for his own critter comforts (clothing, bathing, mattress) in Texas while he was before the judge.
- Detachment, denial, dissociation - ability to separate himself from his offenses, to hide behind a nice, friendly, happy Christian guy persona volunteer coaching at a Christian school, all while being an angry, violent, rapist/murderer and preying, hunting victims in local bars by night, yet carry on as the good boy with his family
- Cunning, subtlety, dishonesty, self-protection - ability to persuade courts and legal people to lessen or forgive his many offenses from speeding, to driving without a license, registration to assault and the ability to change his appearance and facial expression (raised eyebrows, fuller lips and cheeks, considerable weight gain, dreadlocks) that would identify him as a wanted capital offense criminal. The ability to hide his victims in remote places where they are not likely to be discovered, so his DNA and the marks of his violent assaults will not be present on their bodies.

You can bet the FBI and the Academy Group profilers and forensic psychologists are able to put him in the right box or boxes.

PS - I do not see BPD as part of JLM's Dx. IMO - he's a narcissist/sociopath. Remember, these people have endured extreme negative conditioning (relational, environmental, physical, emotional) that creates these disorders. This does not excuse them from legal culpability, but explains their traits, temperaments and tendencies to a degree.

 

[SolVol]

Attributing Borderline Personality Disorder based on sensitivity to rejection is way off base in my opinion, and LJ does not play out like any BPD person that I've dealt with in mental hospitals or prison. I think that the possible social skills issues that can be comorbid with LD are much more likely...

According to Rick Lavoie:

The research indicates that individuals with learning disabilities:
•are more likely to choose socially unacceptable behaviors in social situations
•are less able to solve social problems
•are less likely to predict consequences for their social behavior
•are less likely to adjust to the characteristics of their listeners in discussions or conversations
•are less able to accomplish complex social interactions successfully (i.e.. persuasion, negotiation, resisting peer pressure, giving/accepting criticism, etc.)
•are more likely to be rejected or isolated by their classmates and peers
•are more often the objects of negative and non-supportive statements, criticisms, warnings and negative nonverbal reactions from teachers
•are less adaptable to new social situations
•are more likely to be judged negatively by adults after informal observation
•receive less affection from parents and siblings
•have less tolerance for frustration and failure
•use oral language that is less mature, meaningful or concise
•have difficulty interpreting or inferring the language of others

Sounds like LD could lead to anti-social behaviors.

Has there been a study correlating LD with sociopathy/rape/murder/violent assaults?

Or a study correlating LD with broken, violent dysfunctional homes, divorced, addicted, absent parents?

As I recall, there have been multiple studies correlating sociopathy/rape/murder/violent assaults with broken, violent dysfunctional homes, divorced, addicted, absent parents.

 

[psyquestor]

<snipped for brevity by me> PS - I do not see BPD as part of JLM's Dx. IMO - he's a narcissist/sociopath. Remember, these people have endured extreme negative conditioning (relational, environmental, physical, emotional) that creates these disorders. This does not excuse them from legal culpability, but explains their traits, temperaments and tendencies to a degree.

Upon what do you base this assertion? Do you have a link which states this as true? IMHO and experience, narcissists and sociopaths can be born that way. ie. the Nature vs Nurture dilemma. There are two diagnosed narcissists in my association. Neither went through any abnormal upbringing or abuse. They are simply by nature; narcissistic.

Or were you speaking only on the diagnosis of sociopathy?

TIA

 

[MJPeony]

I think it is hilarious that everyone is trying to diagnose JM mental status from what we have read about him. He was smart enough to get away for years with abhorrent behavior ,he was smart enough, when he looked at his own wanted posters , not to divulge anything. He was smart enough to ask for legal representation before LE ask him a single question;he went to 3 colleges, there is no way anyone who worked, supported himself,bought cars, and knew how to drive the streets,and hide bodies has more than a LD. We all know he has to be a psychopath,to commit the crimes he's accused of and lead a double life of the 'Teddy Bear';just like Gacy,Bundy and others.

BBM

I'm not really sure what you mean by this part(?). I personally think he very much has "more than a LD"- in many ways b/c of the very things you just mentioned that he was capable of. I think it takes more than an LD to murder, hide bodies, evade police, lead a double-life with friends and family, etc. JMO.

I think he has something going on psychologically for sure. I'm (personally) not comfortable trying to label him with a diagnosis, but I think something is going on with him, and I think many others agree and thus why this thread was opened. All JMO of course.

 

[Ollie]

I am trying to see how ritualistic OCD applies to JM from his car and apt pics he was extremely disorganized. I don't see him as BPD (having one in the family )it again meets a only few characteristics ;we all love labels but without real testing done by psychiatrists(which I think we'll see in court)And there again I think we'll see differing opinions.How do you add up all the inconsistencies? He was known from school to have LD issues but that doesn't mean a low IQ.I've said before ,he had street smarts that I feel were probably his best trait. Look at his driving record,did he loose his lisence? I've not seen any record that he did. He had liens for unpaid bills,he still worked. He felt he could work the system;he hit a lawyer,took his phone and got the charges reduced.Let's face it how long did he commit assaults and murder before he got caught? Takes some smarts to do this for years. Of course it's just my opinion.

 

[PricklyPear]

I am trying to see how ritualistic OCD applies to JM from his car and apt pics he was extremely disorganized. I don't see him as BPD (having one in the family )it again meets a only few characteristics ;we all love labels but without real testing done by psychiatrists(which I think we'll see in court)And there again I think we'll see differing opinions.How do you add up all the inconsistencies? He was known from school to have LD issues but that doesn't mean a low IQ.I've said before ,he had street smarts that I feel were probably his best trait. Look at his driving record,did he loose his lisence? I've not seen any record that he did. He had liens for unpaid bills,he still worked. He felt he could work the system;he hit a lawyer,took his phone and got the charges reduced.Let's face it how long did he commit assaults and murder before he got caught? Takes some smarts to do this for years. Of course it's just my opinion.

I also don't think he has OCD, for reasons I stated above. But for what it's worth, it's entirely possible for people with OCD to be slobs (I'm a total slob, for example). Hoarding is believed to be a form of OCD, and even people without hoarding disorder but with OCD may not have cleanliness compulsions, or may have contamination fears that work to keep them from going into dirty rooms or touching dirty items even to clean them. A lot of people have pure-O (only obsessions) or have ritualistic compulsions (counting, turning light switches on and off, locking and unlocking doors) or religious compulsions that have nothing to do with cleanliness or organization. So being sloppy can't rule out OCD. However, the vast majority people with OCD do not act on their obsessive thoughts, do not WANT to act on their obsessive thoughts, and are actively repulsed by them, and those with OCD who DO act on those thoughts often have a lot of other stuff going on mentally. So I doubt OCD is among of JLM's set of problems, and even if it is, I doubt it's what caused him to become a killer.

But I do agree with SolVol that he probably has both some sort of personality disorder and some form of psychopathy/sociopathy, both of which are psychological/neuropsychiatric disorders. So more than a LD.

As for people trying to diagnose him just from what we've read or seen, that's why this thread is also for non-professional opinions. A lot of a person's psychology can be determined from their behavior. Obviously, we're not getting the "inside look" at what makes JLM tick, but we can compare his behaviors (including his suspected behavior of serial rape and murder) to known psychiatric symptoms as well as to other serial killers and the psychiatric problems they had. I don't think this is useful if the goal is to stigmatize people with mental illnesses; plenty of "sane" people commit violent crimes and the majority of people with mental illnesses do not. But if the goal is to learn how to recognize danger signs, both to get people help before they become violent and to help potential victims recognize bad situations and hopefully escape them, then I think it's valuable even for "armchair psychologists" to examine what we know and weigh in. Plus, this has the added benefit of deconstructing some misconceptions about mental illnesses &#8212; like OCD and borderline personality disorder &#8212; that the media has presented a very skewed image of.

 

[jrporter]

Solvol: I'm sure there has been a lot research done. Here is the intro from a study done in 1998:

Published in: Criminal Justice, Summer, 1998.
DISORGANIZED CRIME: LEARNING DISABILITY
AND THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM
Nancy Cowardin, Ph.D.
OVERVIEW
Between three and six percent of school-aged children are diagnosed with Learning
Disability (LD), a specific cognitive disorder which affects the learning of academic and social
information despite otherwise normal intellect. Yet, it is widely estimated that 20 to 55% of criminal
justice clients qualify as having specific to pervasive Learning Disabilities (Keilitz & Miller, 1980;
Larson, 1988; Brier, 1989; Cowardin, 1998). This finding is of great significance to defense
attorneys at the trial and sentencing phases of the criminal justice process. It also raises theoretical
and practical questions which cannot be ignored by educators or the criminal justice system.

The following study seems to have a lot of meat on its bones: http://cecp.air.org/juvenilejustice/docs/youth with disabilities.pdf

 

[PricklyPear]

I've been reading Ann Rule's "The Stranger Beside Me," about Ted Bundy, and a few things struck me as relevant.

I just got to a portion where Ann describes the abductions of Janice Ott and Denise Naslund, and the composite sketch of "Ted," who had approached several women at the same park and was the last person seen with Janice Ott. She says Bundy's co-workers at the Department of Emergency Services teased him because the sketch looked like him and the suspect shared his name. She also said that while none of them (or her) seriously believed Ted Bundy was the "Ted" suspected in the disappearances, he had so many similarities that she let a police friend of hers know, and was not the only one, but because of the vast number of tips and possible suspects, their tips got lost in the flood. Police may have given Ted Bundy a low priority because his friends were so convinced they were wrong.

This really hits me as being similar to JLM and the composite sketch that made the rounds after Morgan Harrington disappeared. That was a very widely publicized case that seems to have gotten even more attention than Hannah Graham's disappearance did (at least before JLM's arrest). Police may have been up against the same difficulty &#8212; a few of JLM's friends who teased him about the composite sketch may have reported it, but because everyone seemed to think he was a gentle giant/teddy bear (at least back then, he doesn't seem to have gotten overconfident and started showing the red flags Coy Barefoot described on the night of Hannah's disappearance until recently), maybe police gave it a lower priority than some "more likely" suspects.

Even though Bundy was described by almost everyone who knew him as brilliant and JLM has been described as not all that bright, I think they both had the ability to be almost two different people. They both had a mask of someone completely harmless that they lived in, and it hid the monster underneath. Bundy got sloppy after the whole saga with Stephanie Brooks &#8212; I don't think his revenge of making her fall for him and then rejecting her back was nearly as satisfying as he expected, and that seems to be what set off his spree. Before that, he probably had victims, but he was much better at keeping them from being connected to each other and flew under the radar.

JLM may not be anywhere near as smart as Bundy, but if he's guilty the crime's he's currently accused of and possibly more, he still managed to fly under the radar for at least 12 years, if you count from his first rape accusation. His mistakes in 2002 and 2003 seem to have taught him how to be a better rapist and murderer. Bundy may have been a natural at serial killing and JLM may have had to learn the skills to not get caught, but in both cases, the harmless mask that was so convincing that friends ignored evidence to the contrary, and the long history of violent crimes, seems to indicate some similarities in their psyche to me. I still think JLM shows signs of some sort of personality disorder at the least and possibly psychopathy. Because of Bundy, I think serial killers get a reputation of being genius psychopaths, but there are plenty of serial killers who are not too bright, but are still psychopaths. JMO.

 

[Conductor71]

In looking over a site founded by a UVA rape victim's mom, I ran across this really interesting analyses of types of serial rapists. Who knew?

PROFILE OF A RAPIST

Using methods not unlike those employed by FBI profilers to predict the behavior of serial killers, police and forensic psychologists have identified four profiles of rapists defined by motive, style of attack and psycho-sexual characteristics. The characteristics of each of the four rapist profiles:

• Power-assertive rapist: Athletic, has a "macho" image of himself. More often than not, this is the type who commits date rapes. He typically meets his victim in a bar or nightclub. Instead of targeting a specific victim, he looks for an opportunity to get a woman alone with him, perhaps with an offer of a ride home or an invitation back to his place. Or he may con his victim into trusting him or letting him into her home. Approximately 44 percent of rapes are committed by power-assertive rapists. He is physically aggressive, and will use the amount of force needed to control you -- but he does not intend to kill you.
• Anger-retaliatory rapist: He feels animosity towards women and wants to punish and degrade them. He may be a substance abuser. He is impulsive and has an explosive temper. He looks for an opportunity to commit the rape rather than for a specific victim. He attacks spontaneously and forces the woman into submission. Thirty percent of rapists fall into the anger-retaliation category. Any level of resistance may well enrage him and cause him to beat the hell out of you until he gets what he wants.
• Power-reassurance rapist: He lacks the self-confidence and interpersonal skills to develop relationships with women. He is passive and nonathletic. He may live or work near his victim, and "preselects" her by peeping or stalking, then breaks into the home to accomplish his act. The power-reassurance type accounts for 21 percent of rapists and is the least violent.
• Anger-excitation rapist: A sadist, who derives sexual gratification from inflicting pain. He is typically charming and intelligent. The crime is premeditated and rehearsed methodically in his mind before it is attempted. His victims may or may not be strangers. f the four types he is the most criminally sophisticated and it's difficult to catch him. Just five percent of rapists fit this description.

source: http://www.uvavictimsofrape.com/about.htm

If JM were to fit any profile, it just leaps off the page here (for me, at least). I imagine there are overlaps in profiles too. [/I]Interesting to note though that he does not intend to kill. I have wondered if due to his physical build he doesn't somehow fatally injure without planning it? Recall that MH's bones have been described as "crushed", and I wonder whether HG's remains showed some similarities? Hate to even have these thoughts, but I think there must be a connection that the MEs have not yet discovered.

 

[SolverGameChanger]

so, this news illustrates something about our media / entertainment culture or how power corrupts those with disadvantaged upbringings or something other http://www.washingtonpost.com/lifes...-afaa1e3a33ef_story.html?tid=pm_lifestyle_pop

 

[Ollie]

In looking over a site founded by a UVA rape victim's mom, I ran across this really interesting analyses of types of serial rapists. Who knew?

PROFILE OF A RAPIST

Using methods not unlike those employed by FBI profilers to predict the behavior of serial killers, police and forensic psychologists have identified four profiles of rapists defined by motive, style of attack and psycho-sexual characteristics. The characteristics of each of the four rapist profiles:

• Power-assertive rapist: Athletic, has a "macho" image of himself. More often than not, this is the type who commits date rapes. He typically meets his victim in a bar or nightclub. Instead of targeting a specific victim, he looks for an opportunity to get a woman alone with him, perhaps with an offer of a ride home or an invitation back to his place. Or he may con his victim into trusting him or letting him into her home. Approximately 44 percent of rapes are committed by power-assertive rapists. He is physically aggressive, and will use the amount of force needed to control you -- but he does not intend to kill you.
• Anger-retaliatory rapist: He feels animosity towards women and wants to punish and degrade them. He may be a substance abuser. He is impulsive and has an explosive temper. He looks for an opportunity to commit the rape rather than for a specific victim. He attacks spontaneously and forces the woman into submission. Thirty percent of rapists fall into the anger-retaliation category. Any level of resistance may well enrage him and cause him to beat the hell out of you until he gets what he wants.
• Power-reassurance rapist: He lacks the self-confidence and interpersonal skills to develop relationships with women. He is passive and nonathletic. He may live or work near his victim, and "preselects" her by peeping or stalking, then breaks into the home to accomplish his act. The power-reassurance type accounts for 21 percent of rapists and is the least violent.
• Anger-excitation rapist: A sadist, who derives sexual gratification from inflicting pain. He is typically charming and intelligent. The crime is premeditated and rehearsed methodically in his mind before it is attempted. His victims may or may not be strangers. f the four types he is the most criminally sophisticated and it's difficult to catch him. Just five percent of rapists fit this description.

source: http://www.uvavictimsofrape.com/about.htm

If JM were to fit any profile, it just leaps off the page here (for me, at least). I imagine there are overlaps in profiles too. [/I]Interesting to note though that he does not intend to kill. I have wondered if due to his physical build he doesn't somehow fatally injure without planning it? Recall that MH's bones have been described as "crushed", and I wonder whether HG's remains showed some similarities? Hate to even have these thoughts, but I think there must be a connection that the MEs have not yet discovered.

I see JM as a mixture of all 4 types of rapists;is this possible?

 

[AnnaGrace]

I see JM as a mixture of all 4 types of rapists;is this possible?

Evidently it is a possibility Ollie. I see the same mixture.

 

[Evie Ivy Over]

In looking over a site founded by a UVA rape victim's mom, I ran across this really interesting analyses of types of serial rapists. Who knew?

PROFILE OF A RAPIST

Using methods not unlike those employed by FBI profilers to predict the behavior of serial killers, police and forensic psychologists have identified four profiles of rapists defined by motive, style of attack and psycho-sexual characteristics. The characteristics of each of the four rapist profiles:

• Power-assertive rapist: Athletic, has a "macho" image of himself. More often than not, this is the type who commits date rapes. He typically meets his victim in a bar or nightclub. Instead of targeting a specific victim, he looks for an opportunity to get a woman alone with him, perhaps with an offer of a ride home or an invitation back to his place. Or he may con his victim into trusting him or letting him into her home. Approximately 44 percent of rapes are committed by power-assertive rapists. He is physically aggressive, and will use the amount of force needed to control you -- but he does not intend to kill you.
• Anger-retaliatory rapist: He feels animosity towards women and wants to punish and degrade them. He may be a substance abuser. He is impulsive and has an explosive temper. He looks for an opportunity to commit the rape rather than for a specific victim. He attacks spontaneously and forces the woman into submission. Thirty percent of rapists fall into the anger-retaliation category. Any level of resistance may well enrage him and cause him to beat the hell out of you until he gets what he wants.
• Power-reassurance rapist: He lacks the self-confidence and interpersonal skills to develop relationships with women. He is passive and nonathletic. He may live or work near his victim, and "preselects" her by peeping or stalking, then breaks into the home to accomplish his act. The power-reassurance type accounts for 21 percent of rapists and is the least violent.
• Anger-excitation rapist: A sadist, who derives sexual gratification from inflicting pain. He is typically charming and intelligent. The crime is premeditated and rehearsed methodically in his mind before it is attempted. His victims may or may not be strangers. f the four types he is the most criminally sophisticated and it's difficult to catch him. Just five percent of rapists fit this description.

source: http://www.uvavictimsofrape.com/about.htm

If JM were to fit any profile, it just leaps off the page here (for me, at least). I imagine there are overlaps in profiles too. [/I]Interesting to note though that he does not intend to kill. I have wondered if due to his physical build he doesn't somehow fatally injure without planning it? Recall that MH's bones have been described as "crushed", and I wonder whether HG's remains showed some similarities? Hate to even have these thoughts, but I think there must be a connection that the MEs have not yet discovered.

I can envision another type of rapist that might be a subcategory under the "anger-retaliatory rapist" description--that would be someone who has an extreme moral compass. Someone who gets upset with a woman who they perceive to be "flaunting" their sexuality, i.e., dressed provocatively in a seemingly risky situation. This rapist is someone who may feel a need to punish this woman for behaviors they don't agree with. Aren't there men who kill prostitutes for this reason?

 

[Conductor71]

I can envision another type of rapist that might be a subcategory under the "anger-retaliatory rapist" description--that would be someone who has an extreme moral compass. Someone who gets upset with a woman who they perceive to be "flaunting" their sexuality, i.e., dressed provocatively in a seemingly risky situation. This rapist is someone who may feel a need to punish this woman for behaviors they don't agree with. Aren't there men who kill prostitutes for this reason?

Yes, I am sure it is far more psychologically nuanced than this typology.

IMO, frat member rapists could have their own category. Mostly the first but add in a healthy dose of entitlement for starters.


Also, I recall reading that most rapists know their victims. I cannot imagine sitting in class or socializing in any way with the person responsible; that is just like a kick in the gut everyday.

Approximately 2/3 of rapes were committed by someone known to the victim.
73% of sexual assaults were perpetrated by a non-stranger.
38% of rapists are a friend or acquaintance.
28% are an intimate.
7% are a relative.

https://www.rainn.org/get-information/statistics/sexual-assault-offenders

 

[SolverGameChanger]

I am going to take a different angle on this topic. There is the rapist that doesn't know that they are a rapist until they are brought to confront it. They believe they are conforming to a norm that is played out in the language of their teens (8 yrs before 20s).
Does anyone recall the use of the word "getting lucky". It falls into both sides for its use. There is a false expectation in some circles that a guy needs to assert themselves with a girl, especially a pretty girl. There is another, that a girl needs to give into a guys advances that they like. In some of these interactions there is an expectation that a certain outcome of the night is to get lucky. In another generation of kids, they just hang out and there is no specific organized progress of events with no known expectation or outcome of the night. Again, in some circles, both are expected to return with a story.

In some circles, the subject of sexual exploration occurres early. Especially when there are older siblings involved and other kids. So by the time a person becomes independent, powerful, etc. their concept of a human being on the other side that needs to have a dialog about sex or sexual intent gets placed in the background and they act like the people that gave them the power are expecting them to act. The victim may come from a different naive environment and the perp behavior formed from norms of their environment.

I am not commenting on the significantly mentally ill, I am commenting on the stable, confident, entitled that believe that their behavior is somehow an accepted norm within their circle. It is part of their success formula to go beyond the norm and challenge boundaries. When they know the opportunity and trigger the switch that starts their actions they are drawn to the challenge and thrill of their clever accomplishment. In the end, they may reflect that it didn't start the way they intended but that they are now trapped in something that they can not backout of or change. At some point they may mature, have regret, make a commitment to change, and hope that their past never catches up to them.

 

[jrporter]

I could definitely see JM as a combination of the first three. Although psychologists and criminologists like to develop and write about neat little diagnostic categories, my experience as a career special educator (with about 2/3 spent working in mental hospitals & prisons) tells me that those categories are ok as guidelines but not the end-all way to view real people..