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It seems clear from general societal trends and the specific informative example of the clergy abuse scandal that the durable rate of offending in the general p

It seems clear from general societal trends and the specific informative example of the clergy abuse scandal that the durable rate of offending in the general population is around 5%, and that the distribution follows a long tail, i.e. most violence and also most sexual violence is perpetrated by only a tiny subset, with the vast majority of offenders being only incidental. So, I would expect that in any population examined, you'd see about <1% or so of a really significant core of unrepentant, repeat offenders committing a large majority of the reprehensible acts, and I would expect to see this durably despite any level of intervention or harm mitigation. Where intervention really matters is in the ~4% who transgress on an incidental basis, and small changes in culture and education can make a large difference there. We just need to set clear standards that establish what is or is not acceptable, educate people about how to avoid being an abuser, and have significant consequences for that abuse. Part of that is pretty simple openness, discussion, and recognition of the problem; and part of it requires creating systems that can protect and evaluate reports of abuse without endangering the victim, which is a more difficult task.

stale2002 9y ago
Ehh, I think it is the opposite. The un-repenting abusers who engage in repeated abuse, are only getting away because the people around them are letting it happen. An abusers might be able to get away with something unnoticed a couple times, but sooner or later word gets around, and it becomes an open secret that this person is an abuser. And if everyone around them knows that this person is an abusers then they need to start doing something about it, and everyone needs to stop enabling the serial abuser. Obviously education doesn't work on the abuser, but it works on everyone around them, so that they know what to look for, and can stop them before things get out of hand.
- jaggederest 9y ago
  Oh, don't get me wrong, enabling serial abusers is a huge problem. But nothing we do is going to change the behavior of those specific individuals - it has to be about enabling easier reporting and better follow up. It's a classic bimodal system where you need accountability and support to find and exclude egregious offenders, and systemic engagement and education to prevent first offenses.
- Torgo 9y ago
  With Weinstein, he was a successful serial abuser because he had both carrot and stick. His power meant he had leverage on everyone around him who might speak out, and his money and connections meant that he could buy silence if that didn't work. I believe that this happens on a smaller scale with other serial abusers, they seek out situations where they have leverage so it's harder for someone to speak out.
- falcolas 9y ago
  IMO, this kind of pressure only works when a) it's coming from their boss, or b) they're the kind to be motivated by morals. And, again IMO, if they're motivated by morals, they aren't serial abusers; the reasoning being that once informed that they're crossing the line that isn't acceptable, they stop. But given the ~1% rate of sociopaths in society at large, I have no problems believing there's a large overlap in the Venn diagram between sociopaths, those in power, and serial abusers.

stale2002 9y ago

Ehh, I think it is the opposite. The un-repenting abusers who engage in repeated abuse, are only getting away because the people around them are letting it happen. An abusers might be able to get away with something unnoticed a couple times, but sooner or later word gets around, and it becomes an open secret that this person is an abuser. And if everyone around them knows that this person is an abusers then they need to start doing something about it, and everyone needs to stop enabling the serial abuser. Obviously education doesn't work on the abuser, but it works on everyone around them, so that they know what to look for, and can stop them before things get out of hand.

jaggederest 9y ago
Oh, don't get me wrong, enabling serial abusers is a huge problem. But nothing we do is going to change the behavior of those specific individuals - it has to be about enabling easier reporting and better follow up. It's a classic bimodal system where you need accountability and support to find and exclude egregious offenders, and systemic engagement and education to prevent first offenses.
Torgo 9y ago
With Weinstein, he was a successful serial abuser because he had both carrot and stick. His power meant he had leverage on everyone around him who might speak out, and his money and connections meant that he could buy silence if that didn't work. I believe that this happens on a smaller scale with other serial abusers, they seek out situations where they have leverage so it's harder for someone to speak out.
falcolas 9y ago
IMO, this kind of pressure only works when a) it's coming from their boss, or b) they're the kind to be motivated by morals. And, again IMO, if they're motivated by morals, they aren't serial abusers; the reasoning being that once informed that they're crossing the line that isn't acceptable, they stop. But given the ~1% rate of sociopaths in society at large, I have no problems believing there's a large overlap in the Venn diagram between sociopaths, those in power, and serial abusers.