Former California governor Arnold Schwarzenegger fathered a child with his household help a decade ago, Dominique Strauss-Kahn, head of the International Monetary Fund, is accused of sexual assault and Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi is standing trial for statutory rape.
Magazines and newspapers have slammed the men in question, often bunching them together; Time Magazines May 30 issue calls them pigs which is a bit harsh on Schwarzenegger. The Terminator was in a consensual relationship with his household help. He failed as a father and a husband but is he a pig? No. Berlusconi and Strauss-Kahn on the other hand have been accused of statutory rape and sexual assault. Strauss-Kahn faces up to 25 years of prison time if convicted.
But what is it about powerful positions that makes these men unzip their trousers outside their homes? Testosterone, excessive risk-taking, a feeling of invincibility and need for novelty, say psychiatrists and psychoanalysts. They have a trait, its called sensation seeking... a need for stimulation, experiences that are high on novelty and high in intensity. One of the areas that this can be expressed is sexual behaviour, says Marvin Zuckerman, Professor Emeritus, clinical psychology, University of Delaware.
They have to regulate certain issues around self-esteem, says Dr. Kenneth Settel, clinical instructor of psychiatry, Harvard Medical School. Their range of feelings, especially vulnerability, goes beyond normal. Take Strauss-Kahn, whenever anyone talks about him, they talk about his charisma, his brilliance, not this, he says. They have to
12:42 PM, Jun 16, 2011
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