Comments on: Is the closet to blame for the Foley scandal? https://wthrockmorton.com/2006/10/03/is-the-closet-to-blame-for-the-foley-scandal/ A [retired] college psychology professor's observations about public policy, mental health, sexual identity, and religious issues Fri, 06 Oct 2006 04:18:00 +0000 hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.8.3 By: Anonymous https://wthrockmorton.com/2006/10/03/is-the-closet-to-blame-for-the-foley-scandal/#comment-2437 Fri, 06 Oct 2006 04:18:00 +0000 https://www.wthrockmorton.com//2006/10/03/is-the-closet-to-blame-for-the-foley-scandal/#comment-2437 Tim,

The reason I mentioned you was because I sensed you knew this topic very well and hoped that you would chime in precisely, as you have. Thanks for you comments. They help us all.

David Blakeslee

]]> By: Timothy Kincaid https://wthrockmorton.com/2006/10/03/is-the-closet-to-blame-for-the-foley-scandal/#comment-2436 Thu, 05 Oct 2006 23:53:00 +0000 https://www.wthrockmorton.com//2006/10/03/is-the-closet-to-blame-for-the-foley-scandal/#comment-2436 David,

I think you are making a mistake when you say “Tim knows the research on married men who abuse children…is the pressure of their closeted life the thing that drives them to abuse?”

This assumes that married men who abuse children must be SSA and in the closet. This is not accurate.

Most men who abuse children have no interest whatsoever in adult men. Most abusers are family members or friends and select their victims based on availability. And we all know that boys are watched less closely than girls around grown men and are much more available.

But even for those who focus solely on boys, if they have interest in adults at all (those who are not fixated on children) it is in most cases women.

I think it is a mistake to confuse pedophile abuse (which does not seem have any correlation with SSA) and poor judgement and inappropriate behavior (such as flirting with legal 16 to 18 year old boys). Neither is desirable behavior, but they are not the same thing and should not be conflated.

]]> By: Anonymous https://wthrockmorton.com/2006/10/03/is-the-closet-to-blame-for-the-foley-scandal/#comment-2435 Thu, 05 Oct 2006 23:24:00 +0000 https://www.wthrockmorton.com//2006/10/03/is-the-closet-to-blame-for-the-foley-scandal/#comment-2435 My goodness, Drudge is now reporting this is a prank gone awry.

http://www.americanthinker.com/comments.php?comments_id=6289

http://www.drudgereport.com/page.htm

Would this have happened if Edmund had not been identified?

David Blakeslee

]]> By: Anonymous https://wthrockmorton.com/2006/10/03/is-the-closet-to-blame-for-the-foley-scandal/#comment-2434 Thu, 05 Oct 2006 17:13:00 +0000 https://www.wthrockmorton.com//2006/10/03/is-the-closet-to-blame-for-the-foley-scandal/#comment-2434 It is interesting how events are unfolding in this story. It is, primarily now, a political story. It could have been a story of social and moral consequence…but I don’t think many of those conclusions can be drawn now.

1. The timing of the disclosure seems clearly for political impact.

2. The fact (I think) that a blog was manufactured to create the disclosure and a few hours later picked up by KOS suggests a strongly manipulated news release.

3. The fact that the media repeatedly conflates e-mails with text messages (the NYT did again this morning). The text messages are explicit and potentially criminal (but probably not); the e-mails are void of sexual content.

4. For a gay man who appears to have a sexual compulsion, Foley found a way to “play by the rules” in this situation.

5. Revelations today indicate his victim was around the age of 18 when the text messages occur.

Others may wish to argue this list or add to it, I just post it for consideration.

I would like to add that the FOLEY issue is a good opportunity to discuss the issue of the Closet. Tim knows the research on married men who abuse children…is the pressure of their closeted life the thing that drives them to abuse?

Perhaps an internal versus external locus of control discussion is helpful. Poor internal locus of control persons may add external locus of control values and identities to help control them. Poorly integrated values (such as heterosexuality, monogomy, etc) are the most likely to break down during periods of distress. Valuing heterosexuality (either in Foley’s comments in the past, or by being a man with SSA who decides to live heteroseuxally) while not acknowledging strong SSA to support systems around you places you in isolation when stressors increase.

I am not sure I have written accurately but what I am trying to say is it is not “the closet” so much as a combination of internal conflict, isolation and poor coping skills.

Coming out Gay is not the simple solution. Coming out Real to those who know you best and doing the difficult work of processing sensations through values and values through sensations allows for integration. I do much better as a person under stress when I have worked through the variety of issues related to that stress. I am much more impulsive and reactive when I have not.

I may chose an external locus of control model to help me with what I have not integrated yet; but it is more likely to fail me.

Just some thoughts.

David Blakeslee

]]> By: Anonymous https://wthrockmorton.com/2006/10/03/is-the-closet-to-blame-for-the-foley-scandal/#comment-2433 Thu, 05 Oct 2006 05:27:00 +0000 https://www.wthrockmorton.com//2006/10/03/is-the-closet-to-blame-for-the-foley-scandal/#comment-2433 To think that being molested caused it is silly. I was molested as a child and I never became Republican.

]]>