Sexual Assault, Harassment, and Coercive Control: The Case of Harvey Weinstein

by Matt Barnes, MSW, RSW

     Working in the social work field opens your eyes to some of life’s most difficult challenges, tragedies, and injustices. In my current role as a therapist providing trauma therapy, my eyes and ears have been inundated with tales of childhood abuse and neglect, sexual and physical assaults, bullying, harassment, death, and domestic violence. The impact of trauma on our minds and bodies is something that continually amazes me and is often lost in the headlines of these crimes. With the recent allegations of serial sexual offenses against another high profile person in the Harvey Weinstein case, it seems fitting to review the impacts of sexual assault, harassment, and coercive control.

     It’s important to first acknowledge and understand the victims and survivors of sexual abuse, harassment, and assault. Many survivors struggle with flashbacks, nightmares, ongoing fear, hypervigilance, invasive memories, emotional numbness, and hyperarousal. Survivors are at heightened risk of developing a variety of physical and mental health problems, including depression, anxiety, posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and substance abuse (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, 2014).  They often struggle in silence with feelings of shame, guilt, embarrassment, and self-blame. Very few sexual assault survivors report the abuse, and those who do often face an uphill battle in a legal system that generally does not understand trauma and the impacts of abuse.

     Working with trauma survivors is an education in terminology such as “gaslighting” and “the second rape.” The latter refers to the blame and re-victimization that occurs after a victim discloses the abuse (Ahrens et al., 2007; Campbell et al., 1999; Starzynski, Ullman, Filipas, & Townsend, 2005).

     Sexual assault statistics vary across the world, but in general, they make it very easy to identify potential victims. For instance, if you are a woman and live in North America, you have a 1 in 4 chance of being sexually assaulted in your lifetime (Symes, 2011; Statistics Canada, 2013). Moreover, of all the sex-related crimes that occur in North America, approximately 80% of the victims are women. Men aren’t immune to sexual assaults, but the statistics demonstrate that women are 11 times more likely than men to experience sexual assault and that in 99% of sexual violence incidents against women, the accused perpetrator is male (Statistics Canada, 2013). 

     This is often the point at which men will disengage with this conversation, because they are not one of the “abusive men” contributing to these statistics. If you are a man in North America, these statistics are important to you, because there is a high likelihood that at least one of the women in your life will be sexually assaulted. And as a man living in North America, I am not okay with this.

     Headlines and high profile cases, such as Harvey Weinstein’s, are reminders that the bystander effect is alive and well in Hollywood and beyond. Whether it’s standing behind a “bro code,” turning a blind eye, or pure ignorance, we all have a responsibility to spot, label, and intervene when abuse and harassment are occurring.  We should use this and other cases to not only highlight our duty to report, but to become more familiar with the types of situations that breed harassment and abuse.  It is important to identify the ways in which predators and offenders use psychological tactics and coercive control to commit sexual crimes. Coercive control is not always visible to the public, which makes reporting and intervening difficult. However, with more awareness of its model of abuse, we can begin to spot early warning signs and support those at risk.  

     Many survivors of sexual assault report that during an assault, they may experience feelings of being frozen, detached, immobile, and unable to speak. Many use terms such as “trapped” and “forced,” and despite the actions appearing to be primarily physical, there are tremendous mental restrictions involved. The term coercive control refers to a model of abuse that emphasizes strategies to dominate women (Stark, 2007). Coercive control theory emphasizes a violation of “liberty” and focuses less on what men do to women and more on what they prevent women from doing for themselves (Stark, 2012). With coercive control, the lines between confinement and freedom are blurred. Evan Stark, the leading author in the field of coercive control, states that it’s an “ongoing pattern of sexual mastery by which abusive partners, almost exclusively males, interweave repeated physical abuse with three equally important tactics: intimidation, isolation, and control” (Stark, n.d.).

     The coercive control model highlights the entrenched historical oppression of women, and it acknowledges the loss of women’s rights and autonomy resulting from religion, laws, and the political and cultural mainstream. The use of coercive control as a strategy depends on continued inequalities for women, including gaps in wages, job opportunities, and leadership roles.

     The common narratives in the Weinstein allegations sound very typical. Young, eager, and motivated women trying to make a career in Hollywood meet a powerful, dominant, and successful male executive willing to “help out.”  The alleged victims tell a similar story. He promises to help their career and tells them stories of others he has helped make it to the top. But more importantly, he tells them of people he has taken down, ruined, and whose careers in Hollywood disappeared because of him. This subtle intimidation is one of the first warning signs of coercive control. In turn, many of the aspiring actresses agree to meet with Weinstein. His assistants often arrange the meetings making them seem formal, but after entering his “office,” which is often a hotel room, the assistant allegedly leaves and the illusion of security is erased. The assistant’s departure cues the second tactic of coercive control, which is isolation.  Once face-to-face with Harvey, some of the accusers describe a marked change in his voice, sudden advancements into their personal space, and an overall shift in the focus of the meeting. One describes feeling as though she was on a date that she didn’t agree to. All of these alleged behaviors are elements of control, the third tactic of coercive control.

     Some women have reported that they did not react right away to his advancements and later recounted that he wasn’t being outright violent or holding them down. The aspect of the Weinstein allegations that differs from some typical sexual assault cases is the psychological control and power dynamics that are present. In turn, the often-used “power and control” label does not do justice to the oppressive actions alleged in this case. They point to the use of coercive control tactics to secure privileges that involved access to sex and personal services, often without consent.

     From a coercive control lens, the controller’s individual needs are the focus of everything he does, and his tactics are honed using special knowledge of things like a victim’s earnings, medical problems, personal fears, sexual desires, and illicit activities (Stark, E., 2007). [viii].  As a result, victims of coercive control are often more focused on managing the abuser’s reactions and avoiding the negative repercussions than seeking safety and refuge in a highly threatening situation.

     Weinstein is reported to have utilized non-disclosure agreements and gag orders. Despite such tactics, an abuser is already at an advantage, as research shows that only 6% of sexual assaults are actually reported (Johnson & Sacco, 1995).

     We see why these numbers are so low when individuals like Woody Allen step into the spotlight to voice concern over how these disclosures could lead to a “witch hunt” for men who do something as harmless as winking at a woman. As is typical in these cases, some individuals begin to question the validity of the allegations, and blame is turned toward the victims rather than the high profile man who struggles with a “sex addiction.” With statements such as Allen’s, the momentum of awareness changes, and the focus shifts from supporting, advocating, and protecting survivors to ensuring that men aren’t falsely accused of sexual assault.  However, Woody Allen and his counterparts can rest assured, because statistics show that in North America, only 2-4% of sexual assault disclosures are falsely reported (University of British Columbia, 2016).

     As the media help us all become aware of allegations of insidious acts by Weinstein and other high-profile figures, we need to turn our attention to survivors of sexual assault and the issue on a broader scale. When we understand, validate, and believe the stories of survivors, we gain a responsibility to support and advocate. Understanding the alleged actions of Weinstein as “coercive control” provides greater insight into the psychological warfare that many women experience before, during, and after sexual abuse incidents. Men have a great responsibility to hold each other accountable, as well as to challenge popular beliefs about masculinity and the inequality and oppression that women face.

     Evan Stark (2007) argues in his book, Coercive Control: How Men Entrap Women in Personal Life, that coercive control remains a marginal concept in mainstream thinking.  He adds that its lack of acknowledgment in policy, domestic violence laws, and the criminal code has led to a lack of interventions for survivors. As true as this statement is, it appears that simply believing that sexual assault, harassment, and assault are occurring is a marginal concept in mainstream thinking.

     With more education, awareness, and social media campaigns such as #MeToo, we can no longer ignore that these acts are happening all around us. But these campaigns often fall short, as survivors are the only ones doing the talking. For me, the sheer fact that statistically speaking, either my mother, sister, wife, or daughter will be sexually assaulted at some point is enough motivation for me to speak out.

     But maybe the real question is: Are we ready to listen?

References

Ahrens, C.E.., Campbell, R, Ternier-Thames, N.K., Wasco, S.M., and Sefl, T. (2007). Deciding whom to tell: Expectations and outcomes of rape survivors’ first disclosures. Psychology of Women Quarterly, 31, 38–49.

Campbell, R, Sefl, T., Barnes, H.E., Ahrens, C.E., Wasco, S.M., and Zaragoza-Diesfeld, Y. (1999). Community services for rape survivors: Enhancing psychological well-being or increasing trauma? Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 67, 847–858.

Johnson, H., and Sacco, V. (1995). Researching violence against women: Statistics Canada's national study. Canadian Journal of Criminology: Special Issue: Focus on the Violence Against Women Survey, 37 (3): 281–304.

Stark, E. (2012). Re-presenting battered women: Coercive control and the defense of liberty. Violence against women : Complex realities and new issues in a changing world, Les Presses de l’Université du Québec.

Stark, E. (2007). Coercive control: How men entrap women in personal life. New York, NY: Oxford University Press.

Stark, E. (n.d.). Coercive control. Retrieved from http://www.womenssupportproject.co.uk/userfiles/file/resources/nationalresources/coercive-control.pdf

Starzynski, L.L., Ullman, S.E., Filipas, H.H., and Townsend, S.M.. (2005). Correlates of women’s sexual assault disclosure to informal and formal support sources. Violence and Victims. 20, 417–432.

Statistics Canada. (2013). Measuring violence against women: Statistical trends. Ottawa, ON: Minister of Industry. Retrieved from: https://www.sexassault.ca/statistics.htm

Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. (2014). Treatment improvement protocol (TIP) series, No. 57. (2014). Rockville, MD: Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.

Symes, L.. (2011). Abuse across the lifespan: Prevalence, risk, and protective factors. Nursing Clinics of North America, 46 (4), 391-411.

University of British Columbia. (2016, March 17). Myths about sexual assault. Retrieved from http://www.ams.ubc.ca/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/sasc_myths.pdf

Matt Barnes, MSW, RSW, is a clinical social worker in private practice in Sarnia, Ontario. His experiences working in residential treatment, youth justice, child welfare, and palliative care have led to a passion for trauma therapy, advocacy, and holistic health. For more information, please visit: http://www.swcounselling.ca