ICON Intimidation and Predatory Behavior: From Hollywood,“to the Newsroom,” to the Halls of Congress

Recently, we have read about a number of high-profile cases involving famous, highly successful men who have been accused of engaging in repeated acts of sexual harassment, even aggression, against both male and female victims. Their behavior, which in many cases is known to others, extends over long periods of time, but nonetheless is essentially ignored, normalized, rationalized, or unreported.

Many of these men are considered ICONS in their industries. Whether they are powerbrokers in Hollywood or political giants, they have achieved a national and sometimes international status, which affords them respect, fame, admiration, and influence, all of which makes them quite a powerful and formidable adversary for their victims. I refer to this as ICON intimidation, a term I came up with many years ago, after working cases in which well-known persons were involved, and their stature negatively impacted the victims' reaction to the crime, and the overall outcome of the case. The inequality of power in such cases can be like a psychological gag for the victim, preventing them from speaking out against the ICONS because of their stature. The victims' realities are that their lives and careers, as they know them, could change dramatically if they report the behavior. And secret financial payments often times paid to victims, and in some cases using our tax money, can cause the assaultive and harassing behavior to appear less criminal, and more of a negotiation in which silence is rewarded, and bad behavior can be bartered with a check and a secret handshake—in other words, just business as usual for the ICON.

What I find particularly fascinating is that the ICON's behavior in these cases includes very high-risk features. These high-risk behaviors could mean disaster for the ICON if the victim, or a bystander, comes forward, and the behavior is unmasked. Nonetheless, ICONS continue to engage in their risky behavior, sometimes for years, seemingly immune to the danger it poses for them. In fact, when such high-risk behaviors are repeated by the ICON, one must assume that although he could eliminate or minimize the risk, but instead intentionally seeks it out, it is because he needs that added thrill and excitement. It is purposeful for him, and according to Dr. Reid Meloy, “As a personality correlate, often these ICONS are pathologically narcissistic, wherein their sense of impunity leads to greater sexual crimes, but also becomes their Achilles heel, accelerating their downfall” (J.R. Meloy, personal communication, November 21, 2017).

Inherent in these serial ICON cases is also a predatory feature. The ICON looks for potential victims he can access for availability, desirability, and accessibility (Federal Bureau of Investigation, 2008, p.18). In other words, the ICON hunts for the right victim, and because of his stature, many people are drawn to him, even fawn over him, providing him with a large victim pool, readily available and accessible to him.

The distinction between predatory behavior and predatory aggression is important to understand. Predatory behavior without aggression can be defined as the ICON “opportunistically searching for a suitable victim, without the use of aggression or violence” (J.R. Meloy, personal communication, November 20, 2017). However, If the ICON utilizes predatory aggression, “it would involve the deliberate use of aggression to advance toward a specific goal” (J.R. Meloy, personal communication, November 20, 2017). Both degrees of predatory behavior involve hunting victims, but the more serious predatory aggression involves the use of some type of violence. In these recent ICONIC cases, we have seen both predatory behavior and predatory aggression according to victims' statements.

This predation or hunting behavior is essential in these ICON crimes not only for them to access vulnerable and unwitting victims but also for the ICON's maximum excitement. His watching, observing, and calculating when to strike, while the victim has little or no idea what is about to happen, is a rush for him. The victim relies on the trust that has been established between them to keep her safe. The ICON establishes the trust to victimize her. His attention, the grooming behavior he engages in with the victims, and the compliments he pays them are a means to an end, and used to convince the victims he does not pose a threat.

One of the most interesting features about ICONIC predatory behavior is that this behavior is seen far more often in men than in women. There are many women ICONS throughout the world, but we rarely hear of them engaging in this type of behavior. And although women engage in a wide variety of violent behaviors, their involvement in predatory behavior and predatory aggression is so disproportionately less than men. What accounts for this difference? Twenty-five years ago, when teaching police schools for the Federal Bureau of Investigation in all areas of violence, I often commented on whether or not we would see increases in female predation. We really have not.

As a behavioral scientist, I find these behaviors absolutely fascinating, and a key for understanding the differences in all types of male and female violence. I hope this is a challenge many of you and your colleagues will embrace in the months ahead. In my experience, violence involving ICON intimidation, predatory behavior, or predatory aggression are areas of criminal behavior we need to know more about, and Violence and Gender is exactly the journal positioned to support and publish this type of research.

I hope you will discuss these topics and their importance with your colleagues and encourage them to submit their research articles, perspective pieces, case studies, and editorials to Violence and Gender. There will be a Call for Papers forthcoming in the near future to outline with greater specificity guidelines for the submission of articles on these topics.

As we move forward to the beginning of a new year for this incredible journal, I would like to thank all of you for your ongoing and continued support of Violence and Gender. I know 2018 will be an even more prosperous year for us, bringing cutting-edge research on meaningful topics that we see splash across the headlines of our newspapers every day.

And as we near the end of 2017, I want to take this opportunity to wish all of you a wonderful holiday season, filled with the hope that we will see a new year filled with greater peace, compassion, and kindness for all people.