Providentia

Reel Talk: Gender Dynamics and the Bechdel-Wallace Test

In the huge universe of movie tales, how often do we see female characters talking about something other than men? This inquiry goes beyond simple film interest and touches on larger cultural conventions and gender roles.

In a challenging new study, German researchers Markus Appel and Timo Gnambs conducted a thorough investigation into this field, utilizing the Bechdel-Wallace Test (BWT) to examine female characterization in 1,200 of the highest-grossing movies released over the past 40 years. Their findings provide insight into the gradual yet noticeable change in gender roles in film.

To read more, check out my new Psychology Today blog post.

LGBTQ+ conversion therapy and applied behavior analysis: A call to action.

The term conversion therapy refers to any practices intended to alter a person's sexual orientation, gender expression, gender identity, or any combination thereof. The present‐day scientific consensus is that such practices are not only ineffective, but highly harmful and fundamentally unethical. However, historical connections exist between applied behavior analysis and the design and dissemination of conversion therapy practices.  A new paper in the  Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis highlights these connections and to call for further attention and action from contemporary behavior analysts on this matter. Specifically, we call for continued discussion and review of previously published conversion therapy papers according to present‐day guidelines for ethical research, position statements from professional organizations, additional ethics guidelines for behavior‐analytic practice, and future behavior‐analytic research and practice efforts that support LGBTQ+ people. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved)

For the abstract

Trends and disparities in suicidal behaviors for heterosexual and sexual minority youth 1995–2017.

The current study examines disparities and longitudinal trends of suicidal behaviors among sexual minority youth disaggregated by self-reported sex and sexual orientation. Despite evidence that attitudes toward sexual minorities have improved during recent decades, few studies have examined whether suicidal behaviors in youth of varying sexual minority identities have likewise improved. Using population-based data from Massachusetts, a study published in the journal Psychology of Sexual Orientation and Gender Diversity,conducted a series of logistic regression analyses to examine disparities and trends for suicidal ideation (SI), suicide attempt (SA), and suicide attempt resulting in medical treatment (SM) by sexual minority and heterosexual youth during four cohort periods ranging from 1995 to 2017. Results found that the overall prevalence of suicidal behavior has decreased over time for all groups. However, there were significant disparities between sexual minority and heterosexual groups for all suicidal behaviors across cohorts. Sexual minority groups ranged from being 1.28 times to 15.45 times more likely to engage in suicidal behavior as heterosexual peers within a cohort period. During the most recent cohort period (2013 to 2017), the rates for SI and SA across sexual minorities ranged from three to seven times that of heterosexual peers. The gap for SI and SA widened across time for almost all female sexual minority groups. The gap for SA and SM narrowed for all male sexual minorities but varied across groups for SI. These results indicate that despite societal improvement in acceptance of sexual minorities, sexual minority youth continue to be at higher risk for suicidal behavior, particularly females for whom most disparities increased over time. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2021 APA, all rights reserved)

For the abstract

The Rise of Sextech

There is a growing field of apps/websites designed to address user concerns about sex using valid information (e.g., OMGYes.com). Young people may turn to this educational sexuality-related technology ("sextech") to address perceived shortcomings of traditional sex education. A study published in Computers in Human Behavior investigated the prevalence, motivations, and outcomes associated with educational sextech use and examined links between sextech use and self-reported sexual function in a sample of 1029 young adults (18-24 years; 57% women). Those who reported past sextech use (n = 236; 32%) completed an anonymous survey assessing patterns of sextech use, perceptions of associated outcomes, and current sexual function. They reported use of one site/app on average. Sextech users had worse sexual function than a comparison group of non-users (n = 440; 18-24 years, 58% women) but reported perceiving sextech as helpful. Most users reported approach (vs avoidance) motives. This study is the first to our knowledge to investigate sextech use among young people and has implications for better reaching this group for sexual education. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2021 APA, all rights reserved)

For the abstract

 

When Men Use Steroids

Anabolic androgenic steroids (AAS) are used by men for their aesthetic and performance-enhancing effects and are associated with risk for side effects. A new study published in the International Journal of Qualitative Studies on Health and Well-being aims to deepen knowledge and understanding of men´s experiences of using AAS. Method: This phenomenological study is based on the reflective lifeworld research approach. Lifeworld interviews were conducted with twelve men about their experiences of using AAS. Results: By using AAS, men strive towards a muscular, strong and athletic ideal. Self-imposed demands, self-discipline and performance accelerate male physical development. The perfect male body ideal thus attained is fragile from both an existential and a biological perspective. The perfect self-image can easily be shattered by adversity. A man’s very existence may be jeopardized if the use of AAS is revealed to others or if the body is let down by illness. Conclusions: Men´s use of AAS is a complex phenomenon. It partly concerns a traditional view of masculinity that is reflected in the community. It requires both broad and deep knowledge and understanding to be able to meet men using AAS in their problems and vulnerability; a meeting that is hampered by their low trust in healthcare, and by the fact that AAS are illegal. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2021 APA, all rights reserved)

For the abstract (open access)  

Infidelity and the Capgras Delusion

Remembering back to a fascinating case study described in the June 2008 issue of Clinical Neurophysiology.  The study concerns a patient who presented visual hallucinations and identification disorders associated with a Capgras syndrome. During his Capgras episodes, the patient not only misidentified his wife's face, but also perceived her as being an entirely different sexual partner. He then had sexual intercourse with his wife's "double" without having the slightest recollection of any familiarity with her and even changed his sexual habits. According to the authors, he is the only known neurological patient that made his wife a mistress. In discussing the case, the authors discuss the mechanism of Capgras delusion with reference to the processes involved in face recognition. The complete loss of familiarity not only with the face but also with all aspects of sexual intimacy suggests a specific disconnection between the neural pathways linked to face identification and the systems involved in emotional and episodic memory.

Click here for the abstract.

Two Transgender Women Arrested in Cameroon for "Attempted Homosexuality"

The recent sentencing of two Cameroonian transgender persons to five years in jail for  "attempted homosexuality, indecent dressing, and lack of identification papers has sparked outrage from international rights groups.  Twenty-three-year-old Njeukam Loic Midrel (Shakiro) and twenty-seven-year-old Mouthe Roland (Patricia) were arrested in February of this year while having dinner at a restaurant in Douala, Cameroon’s economic capital.

While the Cameroonian criminal code outlaws sexual relationships between same-sex people, the law typically only applies if they are caught in "flagrante delicto."   Since 2016 however, the law has been tightened to ban any sexual relations "between men and women."  Police are also authorized to inflict humiliating searches on suspected LGBTQ arrestees, including anal examinations intended to find "proof of homosexual conduct."  

In responding to the arrest and sentencing of her clients, attorney Alice Nkom has openly denounced the arrest in a Facebook post.  “Which law punishes trans [women] for wearing a skirt for five years?" she wrote.  "Nobody should be imprisoned for a simple suspicion; this opens the door to imprisonment without proof?”  Minority Rights Africa described the ruling as “an increasing clampdown on gay and transgender people” and has already sparked increased fear among Cameroon's sexual minorities.

Shakiro became a social media celebrity from a YouTube video posted last year in which she openly stated that she "feels good as a woman."   Along with 26,000 views, Shakiro also gained 5,000 fans and has become a public face for trans persons in the country.   The conviction of Shakiro and Patricia is only the latest incident in a country already known for its anti-LGBTQ intolerance. In the same month of their arrest, there have been twenty-seven arrests and three murders.   More are likely expected.

Along with their prison sentence, Shakiro and Patricia were also ordered to pay a fine of 200,000 CFA francs (370 USD).  Failure to pay could earn them another year in jail.

For more information

YouTube Bans Channel Featuring "Violent Exorcisms" of Gays in Nigeria

Until recently, visitors to the Africah channel run by the Synagogue Church of All Nations, a megachurch operating in  Lagos, Nigeria,  could see videos featuring T. B. Joshua, the church's charismatic leader, conducting exorcisms in which he "cast out the demons of homosexuality" on supposedly willing volunteers.   Until Open Democracy, a human rights advocacy group based in the United Kingdom. alerted YouTube concerning the content of those videos, including hate speech and violence aimed at the people Joshua was supposedly attempting to "cure."   In reviewing seven clips of exorcisms shown online between 2016 and 2020,  Open Democracy identified multiple instances of Joshua "engaging in violent exorcism."    This includes one clip showing him pushing one woman's head causing her to hit the floor and then slapping her repeatedly, along with another woman identified only as  "her wife."    The clip then fast forwards to a week later when the first woman proclaims that she feels “no affection whatsoever” for her former partner due to the preacher's actions.  “Now I have affections for men,” she added.

Since sexual minorities have no legal protections in Nigeria, Joshua and his church enjoy enormous popularity with no real restriction on how he conducts exorcisms.  As a result, he is extremely powerful and his YouTube had 1.8 million subscribers until Open Democracy filed its complaint.   As YouTube's guidelines specifically  “prohibits content which alleges that someone is mentally ill, diseased, or inferior because of their membership in a protected group including sexual orientation," they concluded that Joshua and his church crossed the line and terminated the channel.   A similar campaign directed against the Church's Facebook account led to a partial ban on some content although the account remains in place.  

The YouTube decision was praised by other human rights groups as a positive step given the powerful role that social media often plays in spreading hate speech.  A statement by Daina Rudusa of OutRight Action International stated that "It is great to see social media platforms take a greater role in tackling these harmful practices by banning accounts spouting hate speech and promoting conversion practices."  While violence aimed at people belonging to sexual minorities remains prevalent in Nigeria with few daring to be out about their sexuality,  the current YouTube ban represents a positive step preventing the spread of hate speech elsewhere.   At least for now.

 

 

 

 

Turkey Withdraws from Istanbul Convention Citing "Normalization of Homosexuality"

In a long-threatened move, Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has formally announced his country's withdrawal from the Istanbul Convention which he views as having been "hijacked" by people attempting to normalize homosexuality.   The Convention which was first opened to signature in 2011, represents a comprehensive and legally binding human rights treaty by the Council of Europe.  Along with pledging to promote gender equality, the convention also seeks to prevent and prosecute sexual and domestic violence as well as forced marriages and involuntary sterilization.  While Erdogan insists that he still endorses the convention's other goals, including protecting women from abuse, he deems attempts at normalizing homosexuality as being "incompatible with Türkey’s social and family values. Hence the decision to withdraw."

Despite reiterating his determination to improve women's rights, the goverment's head of communications Fahrettin Altun has also released a statement stressing that Turkey's existing legislation is sufficient to prevent violence against women.   But women have taken to the streets across the country to show their outrage and the need for more comprehensive protections.   This includes many of the provisions already in place in the Istanbul Convention, including guaranteeing access to shelters for victims of violence, 24/7 helplines, and other services which are often lacking for Turkish women.  At present, Turkey only has one helpline T for women affected by violence. Also, as of 2020, there  were only 145 shelters for women victims of violence in the entire country with a capacity to house 3,482 women.   Along with protesting the withdrawal from the convention, protestors also demand justice for the 300 femicide victims reported to police in 2020 alone and the increasing numbers being reported this year as well.  According to the Social Gender Equality collective, six women were killed in a twelve-hour period on the very day of Turkey's decision to withdraw.   

In responding to Turkey's action,  representatives of the Council of Europe released a statement announcing that, "Turkey was the first member State to ratify in 2012 the Council of Europe Convention on preventing and combating violence against women and domestic violence, opened for signature in Istanbul during the Turkish Chairmanship of the Organisation 10 years ago. And it did so by a unanimous vote at the Grand National Assembly. We thus deeply regret the decision of the President of Turkey to withdraw from this Convention widely supported in the country, without any parliamentary debate. We recall that the purpose of the Convention is to prevent violence against women, protect victims and prosecute perpetrators. It upholds women’s fundamental human right to a life free from violence. Leaving the Convention would deprive Turkey and Turkish women of a vital tool to counter violence.  We therefore call on the Turkish authorities not to weaken the international system to protect women against violence put in place by the Istanbul Convention”.

The Problem with Stalking

When Royce Baxter's GMC Yukon was pulled over in Washington's Thurston county in December 2010,  deputies found a handgun, four pit bulls, and a plastic bag of women's underwear, carefully sorted.  Police had already been searching for Baxter after he had been spotted breaking into a home in Olympia, Washington. and his vehicle was later found to contain a camerawith photos of the inside and outside of the house, pictures of the underwear of a woman  living there, and a key to the front door.    He had been obsessed with the woman, a former coworker, and had entered her house on repeated occasions to steal articles of her clothing.  Baxter was later charged with trying to have the woman's husband and his arresting officer killed.    In a statement that he made to the court during his trial, Baxter said "I am not the villain, the violent, dangerous person or criminal Detective Haller and Prosecutor (Andrew) Toynbee have attempted to so diligently and adamantly portray me as.  I am not a threat or danger to the victims … and I have never physically harmed, assaulted or injured anyone in any way, and I never would."

While everyone experiences "secret crushes" or infatuations at some point or other in their lifetimes, those crushes are usually harmless.  In more extreme cases though, the kind of obsessive love see in many stalkers can lead to far more serious consequences.  More often known as erotomania,  obsessive love is usually associated with celebrities being stalked by overzealous fans but such cases are probably more common than most people realize.   First identified by French psychiatrist Gaetan Gatian de Clerambault in his classic 1912 paper Les Psychoses Passionelles, the syndrome is also known as de Clerambault's syndrome in his honour.   Although de Clerambault considered erotomania to be found almost exclusively in females (all of the case studies in his paper were female), cases of males with erotomanic delusions were quickly identified as well   Numerous case histories have been reported in the psychiatric literature for decades but erotomania is no longer considered a separate diagnosis (it is not included in the DSM-V and is usually classified as part of a broader delusional disorder such as schizophrenia).

 Known cases of delusional erotomania tend to share the following characteristics:

• A delusional conviction that he or she is has a "love connection" with the intended target, including  covert messages being passed back and forth
• The intended target is usually of a much higher rank or social status
• In many  cases, the patient insists that the other person fell in love first and made the initial advances
• While the intended target rebuffs the patient's advances, the patient then constructs elaborate explanations of why there is no real evidence of rejection
• The intended target endures months, if not years, of embarrassment, humiliation, and fear over  the patient's advances.  If the patient is rejected too harshly, the intended target (or anyone perceived to be a threat to the relationship) may be physically harmed by the patient
• Erotomania is often a fixed delusion  which is resistant to any form of treatment

Celebrities stalked by obsessed fans include David Letterman, Uma Thurman, Steven Spielberg, Madonna,  and Rebecca Shaeffer (who was murdered by her stalker).    A study by forensic psychiatrist Park Dietz of  personal letters sent to celebrities and politicians  found that, of the 214 letters sent to celebrities, 16% showed erotomanic delusions with eleven of the writers actually believing that they were married to the object of their obsession.  Of the 100 people who wrote similar letters to politicians, five had erotomanic delusions and two believed that they were married. 

While many people with erotomania gradually give up when their love is not returned, the most dangerous cases involve love turning to hatred over perceived betrayal or jealousy.  One case that brought erotomania to public attention in  recent years was John  Hinckley Jr. whose obsession with actress Jodie Foster led to the subsequent assassination attempt on  U.S. President Ronald Reagan on March 30, 1981.  For Hinckley,  Jodie Foster became his entire world (likely triggered by her gripping portrayal as a prostitute in Taxi Driver).  After learning the location of her dormitory at Yale University,  Hinckley pursued Foster with numerous letters, phone calls, and notes designed to show his love for her.   In a page torn from an art book that was later found by his parents, Hinckley had written "Napoleon and Josephine- John and Jodie" under the picture of a bust of Napoleon Bonaparte.  The entire point of shooting the President involved proving to Jodie Foster that their union was inevitable by guaranteeing himself a place in the history books. 

In a final letter written just before the assassination attempt, Hinckley wrote that:

There is a definite possibility that I will be killed in my attempt to get Reagan.  It is for this very reason that I am writing you this letter now.  As you well know by now, I love you very much.  The past seven months I have left you dozens of poems, letters and messages in the faint hope you would develop an interest in me.  Although we talked on the phone a couple of times, I never had the nerve to simply introduce myself.   Besides my shyness,  I honestly did not wish to bother you.  I know the many messages left at your door and in your mailbox were a nuisance, but I felt it was the most painless way to express my love to you.  [...]

Jodie, I would abandon this idea of getting Reagan in a second if I could only win your heart and live out the rest of my life with you, whether it be in total obscurity or whatever.  I will admit to you that the reason I'm going ahead with this attempt now is because I cannot wait any longer to impress you.  I've got to do something now to make you understand in no uncertain terms that I am doing all of this for your sake. By sacrificing my freedome and possibly my life I hope to change your mind about me.  This letter is being written an hour before I leave for the Hilton Hotel.

Jodie, I'm asking you to please look into your heart, and at least give me the chance with this historical deed to gain your respect and love.  I love you forever.  John Hinckley.

Along with impressing Foster, Hinckley also apparently had a dream of somehow replacing President Reagan and living in the White House with her.  In an unmailed postcard found by the FBI after the assassination attempt , Hinckley had written "Dear Jodie,  one day you and I will occupy the White House and the peasants will drool with envy".   While President Reagan recovered from the shooting, several others at the scene were not so lucky (including Press Secretary James Brady who was left permanently disabled).   Found not guilty by reason of insanity, Hinckley was confined to St. Elizabeth's Hospital in Washington, D.C.  where he would remain for decades.   Even after his trial, he insisted that the shooting was "the greatest love offering in the history of the world" and public outrage over his sentence spurred new legislation to restrict the use of the insanity defense.  Though efforts by his family to have Hinkley released had been stymied by  continuing evidence of his  fixation on Jodie Foster, he was finally allowed to live with his mother in 2016 and he has since been allowed to live on his own.

Erotomania is often associated with stalking behaviour but most cases of criminal sexual harassment typically involve former partners or former employees/coworkers.   While celebrities typically have security staff to deal with overly amorous admirers, ordinary citizens need to rely on police for protection.  Unfortunately, many victims of erotomanic stalkers are often reluctant to make a formal complaint due to fear of retaliation or the hope that the stalker will simply give up in time.  Even restraining orders are only marginally effective unless there is an anti-stalking law in place. 

Victims should take every measure possible to protect themselves including providing a picture of the stalker to friends and family as well as having an emergency police number to call (preferably dealing with the same police officer each time).  They should also refuse to respond to the stalking in any way (including meeting with the stalker directly).  Every contact attempt by the stalker should be documented and reported and victims should insist on periodic police drive-bys and a security system for protection.   Victims should also avoid being alone whenever possible and should carry a mobile phone and a personal alarm. 

Sadly, none of these measures are foolproof and victims are often left isolated and afraid since police rarely have the power to act effectively until after the stalker has become violent.    For more information and to learn about available resources, please contact the following organizations.

National Stalking Helpline (U.S)

Stalkingvictims.com

Network for Surviving Stalking (U.K.)