Catfishing - family members - Benefit of criminalizing this abuse.
Friday, 10 Dec 2021, 13:43
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Listening to Radio 4's Women's Hour the topic catfishing was discussed . The discussion centred around a fictional story based on true events called , 'Sweet Bobbie' however behind the façade it discussed the lengths a person went to desecrate another persons life and what was more disturbing the perpetrator was a family member.
Although l have heard about the online scams that had been perpetrated by random con men and women what l found disturbing is the thought of a family member using this guise for whatever reason to humiliate and ruin someone's life. What l also found disturbing was the lengths this person went to deceive and ruin the other family members life. The discussion went on to explain although this family member used extreme methods, it was not so unusual to catfish relatives.
What can be the benefit for the perpetrator ? Is it the thought that the person would be too humiliated to talk about it ? Could it be the thought of the power and control they can have over that other family member ? Jealousy ?
Ultimately this leads to the question of how does that kind of abuse benefit anyone?
For the victim the psychological impact can be devastating culminating in trust issues with family, friends and the wider circle . For the perpetrator maybe the thought that their victim could speak out could also have damaging implications psychologically .
For a moment of madness, be it for a laugh or spite lives are ruined in one way or another and just like throwing a stone into the water it ripples out into all parts of peoples lives.
Surely just like gas lighting this is abuse and should be criminalised. In my opinion by criminalizing this kind of abuse, it would make people think twice and prevent many other lives and families being ruined through a moment of the perpetrators heightened state of euphoria.
Catfishing - family members - Benefit of criminalizing this abuse.
Listening to Radio 4's Women's Hour the topic catfishing was discussed . The discussion centred around a fictional story based on true events called , 'Sweet Bobbie' however behind the façade it discussed the lengths a person went to desecrate another persons life and what was more disturbing the perpetrator was a family member.
Although l have heard about the online scams that had been perpetrated by random con men and women what l found disturbing is the thought of a family member using this guise for whatever reason to humiliate and ruin someone's life. What l also found disturbing was the lengths this person went to deceive and ruin the other family members life. The discussion went on to explain although this family member used extreme methods, it was not so unusual to catfish relatives.
What can be the benefit for the perpetrator ? Is it the thought that the person would be too humiliated to talk about it ? Could it be the thought of the power and control they can have over that other family member ? Jealousy ?
Ultimately this leads to the question of how does that kind of abuse benefit anyone?
For the victim the psychological impact can be devastating culminating in trust issues with family, friends and the wider circle . For the perpetrator maybe the thought that their victim could speak out could also have damaging implications psychologically .
For a moment of madness, be it for a laugh or spite lives are ruined in one way or another and just like throwing a stone into the water it ripples out into all parts of peoples lives.
Surely just like gas lighting this is abuse and should be criminalised. In my opinion by criminalizing this kind of abuse, it would make people think twice and prevent many other lives and families being ruined through a moment of the perpetrators heightened state of euphoria.
Woman's Hour - 10/12/2021 - BBC Sounds (35.54 - 51.22)
Sweet Bobby | Podcast on Spotify