Victims have a certain way of walking, and psychopaths can spot it. That’s the conclusion two bloggers for Psychology Today reached, based on a scientific study released last year.
The study, Psychopathic traits and perceptions of victim vulnerability, was authored by Sarah Wheeler, Angela Book and Kimberly Costello of Brock University. The abstract states:
The purpose of this study was to determine whether individuals scoring higher on psychopathic traits would be better able to judge vulnerability to victimization after viewing short clips of targets walking. Participants provided a vulnerability estimate for each target and completed the Self-Report Psychopathy Scale: Version III (SRP-III). Higher SRP-III scores were associated with greater accuracy in assessing targets’ vulnerability to victimization.
Psychology Today blogger Marisa Mauro, Psy.D., explained the study further. A group of male university students were asked to watch video clips of 12 people walking. The videos were shot from behind, and the students were asked to rate the ease at which each could be mugged. Several of the individuals had, in fact, been victimized. The students who scored high in psychopathic traits were better at picking out the people who had already been mugged.
Mauro works as a prison psychologist. Based on her experience and this study, she wrote:
Certain personal characteristics are associated with tendency to be on the receiving end of bullying such as harassment and manipulation. I have found that the demonstration of confidence through body language, speech and affective expression, for example, provides some protection.
Wallflowers
Another Psychology Today blogger, Jeff Wise, also commented on the study and what it says about victims. Wise wrote that he recently came across a guy who seemed to have the traits of a psychopath. The man was charming, good-looking, athletic, financially successful—and he left a trail of destruction in his wake. His victims sounded like wallflowers. Wise wrote:
The women who wound up on the receiving end of his attentions were individuals who, in their own description, were not very worldly, experienced, or outgoing. They were psychologically vulnerable and hence ill-equipped to either resist this fellow’s predations or to deal with them emotionally after they had occurred.
Wise concluded that, “people who are on the receiving end of crime often do mark themselves out, if only subliminally.” Mauro suggested that people can decrease perceived vulnerability by projecting dominance—more eye contact, less movement of the hands and feet.
If only it were that easy.
Traits of targeted women
The research both bloggers quoted described a particular situation—people walking down the street, and how vulnerable they might be to being mugged. It should not be generalized to describe all victims of psychopaths. After all, how many of us were involved with muggers?
Consider the research by Dr. Liane Leedom on women who were targeted by psychopaths. She found that they have three traits in common:
- Extraverts. The women are outgoing, competitive, strong-willed and liked excitement. Sometimes they are free-spirited.
- Cooperative. They are high in empathy, tolerance and compassion. They value getting along with others, and are willing to compromise their own interests for the larger picture.
- Invested in relationships. They like being around people. They are sentimental and focus on special moments.
Dr. Leedom’s research relates to women. But I’ve heard from many Lovefraud readers, both men and women, who were successful, take-charge individuals—until they met the psychopath.
Personally, I don’t think anyone who watched me walk down the street would tag me as timid or vulnerable. I’m an athlete, and my stride is confident. But I was victimized by a psychopath, who took $227,000 from me, and cheated on me incessantly. And the guy started setting his hooks via e-mail, before he ever saw me walk.
Maybe projecting dominance would work to avoid muggers. But it’s not going to stop victimization by a card-carrying psychopath intent on finding a resourceful new supply.
Jeannie-he sounds like he has just as much nerve as the rest of the guys who make our LF members miserable. They LOVE the smear campaigns. That freakin sucks that he beat you to the restraining order, AND that his is based on absolutely nothing. The honeymoon phase was how mine got me snared. He laid it on so thick it was disgusting and got me to agree to something that normally I would NEVER in my life agree to do. At the end, when he discarded me, that’s when the smear campaign started. He accused me of being crazy. My response: “hi pot, I’m kettle, nice to meet you”. He told everyone that would listen that I was crazy and it took me a year and half to convince our mutual friends that he was the crazy one. On one of our email fights, he had the nerve to tell me that I “broke up his marriage”. Wait-the four affairs that he had on his wife with younger women BEFORE me had nothing to do with that? Whatever-they all suck! Anyway, please read posts and talk to the other people on here because they WILL help you with a lot of good ideas on how to deal with all this.
Dear Jeannie,
YOu have the evidence of the cops and calling the cops BEFORE he filed the restraining order, so hang on….file against him, and even if you get a mutual order, that is better than nothing! Don’t let it bowl you over! ((((Hugs)))))
Jeanie:
Don’t let this scare you…..it’s spath protocol. I guarentee the cop had no idea what was going on…..and informed him the same as you…..get a restraining order.
Make sure the cops filled out a report of the visit and get a copy.
File your own order and get yourself a camera that points in neighbors direction, be sure it covers a bit of your property.
He won’t be granted an order, he can’t prove YOU harassed him.
Prepare your case carefully….>WITH NO EMOTIONS!
Don’t let THIS move get you down…….it’s another ploy…..and you can divert his actions through the courts!
He is actually giving you a heads up of his moves……NEVER LET HIM SEE YOU SWEAT or react!!!!
Good luck darlen….keep your head up!
Jim wrote in his restraining order:
That I made false statements to police.
(I told police he is yelling and screaming at me across the street, I also told police that his screaming at me has been his pattern for last 5 years; barging in my door to scream at me, opening my outside window to stick his head in to scream at me)
He wrote that I stalked him at his house
(excuse me? He is parking himself across my street and says I’m stalking him?)
He wrote that I entered his home without his permission.
(the last time I was in his house was 2007 when I was watching his dog. He gave me a key)
He wrote that I also used his computer without his permission.
(I came over that day to let his dog out. He was still home. I figured he overslept and thought I’d be a smart-alec and wake him up. I entered his house with the key. I heard him talking on phone and I saw the porn on computer. I went up to computer and the web addy was something about teen porn.com I quietly left his house and came back later to let the dog out and to see what he is hiding in his computer. It was all FILTH!!!! Jim later lied his way out of it)
He wrote that I emailed people he knows to attempt further harrassment.
(I emailed his friend who had my electric heaters for a year. Jim kept dragging his feet about getting my heaters back so I finally contacted his friend who had my heaters. His friend replied with a nasty email. Jim and I had a yard sale on July 4th weekend at his handyman customers house. I broke it off with Jim and Jim wouldn’t give me my stuff back. Jim stated he would call police if I stepped on that property. Police said I had to get permission from the property owner to get police escort. I emailed the owner of the property asking for permission to get my stuff back. So this is the harrassment Jim speaks of?)
Jim said I use the courts as a form of harrassment.
(I filed a suit against Jim years ago. He owed me hundreds of dollars. I dropped the suit when Jim told me the court would throw it out cause he made a few payments. Me and Jim made an agreement for him to work off the money with my home repairs. I never got my money. Instead Jim got more money out of me)
Jim called me an alcoholic with mental health problems. He said I threw things at him when in a intoxicated state.
(Gee he finally sees I have mental health problems. Funny that he ignored my condition while he “stressed me out” for 5 years. Stressed me out by screaming at me, lying to me. ditching me, conning me out of money. Yes, I drink. I noticed that I am drinking less and less now that I erased Jim out of my life. I have been feeling better. I have been focused and on task and accomplishing things)
He wrote that I have been violent in the past both verbally and (the throwing things)
(he said the same thing about his ex’s. I have never thrown anything at him. Jim was the aggressor. I would bury my face in my hands when he screamed at me. I would cower under him until his tirade was over)
He wrote I should have no contact with his ex-wife or children.
(I never had contact with his children except the time when Jim brought his younger daughter over. Jim got a chance visitation that day. His ex-wife was up in the Dells (17 miles away) His daughter called him for a visit. Jim rushed down to pick her up and brought her to my house. His ex-wife gave him 2-hours with the girl. Jim dropped the girl off at my house. He left and didn’t say where he was going. My son and his daughter played in my yard. Finally Jim came back. I had no contact with his children other than that brief visit. I did call his ex-wife a number of years ago. I wanted to compare notes. But, I already knew the answers! Jim was playing me. I shouldn’t have called his ex-wife to be told that. She told me this: Everything he did to me, he said I did to him.)
I noticed that my son locked and bolted the front door tonight. I think he also feels things are excalating with Jim.
jeannie – cameras, motion sensors – get evidence you can use. don’t focus on his BS, focus on going foward and getting what you need to nail him.
Jeannie:
Careful not to take each word/statement and hang on it.
DO NOT TAKE IT PERSONAL…….it’s just an approach.
He wants you to take it personal…..DONOT.
He is clearing a path for you to see his strategy……learn it, study it and counter control it. BUT YOU CAN”T BE EMOTIONAL!!!!!
Sit back and give yourself some breaths……collect yourself…..and reapproach tomorrow.
It’s NOT personal…it’s a headsup…..he’s giving you breadcrumbs.
Jeannie, I’m with EB, mounted camersa that will see in the dark and keep something in your hand to defend yourself…BE SAFE! Keep calm though, because that is important! (I(((hugs)))) and God bless.
Erin,
He got the restraining order on me. I was served at court house while I was waiting for judge to see me.
Jim went to an attorney to file the restraining order. The dirty dog must passed around the hat to get his friends to pitch in for the “Poor Jim” fund to pay for that attorney. While Jim was speedily getting his restraining order I was stuck at court house waiting for judge.
I do have a camera. I will take pictures. I kinda doubt Jim will do anything to give me evidence. Today was a chance encounter. He got pissed off cause I was ignoring him on HIS terrority. ( he sees the neighbors house as his domain) I’ll bet he is polishing his halo. And we have court on Dec 14 at 1:00. Yep two restraining orders against each other on the same day and time. It makes us look like kindergarten children.
Ox Drover I will request that police report. I will try to take a deep breath and plow forward. I have to. I have to finish this, no matter what he says about me. He is going to throw many a monkey wrench in my path to stop me. But, if I let him get away with this he will continue the harrassment. He never would have harrassed me today if I had put a stop to it before.
Hail Mary, Mother of God, give me strength to stop the abuse!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
One-Step, I never got to hand the paper work to process server cause the court house closed. I waited that long for judge! I have to go back to the court.
Nolongernaive: Yes abusive men are quick to call their victims crazy. I believe Jim is planning to run me out of the county and then he can claim he ran the crazy bitch out of town!
One-Step, I gotta wonder where the money will come for all that I-Spy equipment. I know you mean well, and I thank you for the listening ear. I’m on SSD. If Jim runs me out of town cause he tells a better story — Then that’s the end of it. At that point I will tell the judge that I hope he will win many reelections when his voters become many Jims who tell good stories but doesn’t pay their property taxes and doesn’t have home owners insurance. Last I heard Jim was trying to get caught up with his 2006 property taxes.
Erin, I am trying not to take it personally. I hope that tomorrow will be a brighter day. I think I will be ok, even though today was terrible. I made up my mind that I will push on to the end. I have to. Either let Jim walk over me, or take the bumbs to stop it.
Gosh I’m stronger than I know! I got stronger from being away from Jim for all these months.
Erin,
How do I study it. Study what? I think you are seeing something that I am not seeing?
He is showing me his strategy.
Ok, he said I’m stalking when he is the one parked across the street on numerous occasions. He said I entered his house without permission. He gave me his house key, and asked me to watch his dog. I looked at his computer? Yeah, the teen porn I saw on his computer got me wondering what my boyfriend was up to.
I’m trying to condense this. I am not quite so emotional now. I’m am practicing for court on 14. I don’t know how much I will be allowed to say.