Posted on 08/06/2003 12:57:01 PM PDT by chance33_98
'Is Kobe Bryant Guilty?' -- Commentary by Psychiatrist Alen J. Salerian; Available for Interviews
8/6/03 3:39:00 PM
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To: National Desk, Opinion Editors
Contact: Ara Salerian or Deborah Peterson, 202-244-4337 or 202-320-0739 (cell), both of the Washington Center for Psychiatry
WASHINGTON, Aug. 6 /U.S. Newswire/ -- The following commentary, "Is Kobe Bryant Guilty," by Psychiatrist Alen J. Salerian is available for publication on opinion/editorial pages.
Alen J. Salerian, M.D., is currently the medical director for the Washington Center for Psychiatry. He is also a former chief consultant for the FBI. As a national "thought leader," Dr. Salerian has frequently contributed to national newspapers such as The Washington Post, The Los Angeles Times and USA Today. He has appeared on television over 100 times, including CBS's "60 Minutes", "48 Hours" and BBC's "Panorama." He is a regular analyst and commentator on CBS Washington, D.C., affiliate WUSA-TV
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IS KOBE BRYANT GUILTY? -- by Alen J. Salerian, M.D.
Kobe Bryant may not be guilty, and some of the criminal charges may be the byproducts of clever manipulations. However, three core psychological issues will determine his fate: Common sense, sex, and violence.
Common sense, this imprecise concept of our ability to reason and apply good judgment in dealing with problems -- ordinary or monumental -- often greatly impacts the quality of our lives.
Did either Kobe Bryant or his accuser use common sense on the night of June 30, 2003? If he were my son. "Have your lost your marbles?" I would have said to Kobe Bryant if he were my son. And if the accuser were my daughter, I would have offered, "My dear, visiting a stranger in his bedroom in early morning hours would almost always be perceived as a tease by most men."
For some time, psychological analyses of sexual behavior have revealed significant gender differences between men and women. Depending on our culture and upbringing, "Sexual encounters may represent the mythical paradise or, at times, a powerful avenue of pleasure, joy, comfort, love, and countless other emotions ranging from anger to lust. There are exceptions, of course, but in Western Culture, women more often use sex as a special language for romance, intimacy, or on occasion, as a powerful tool for control. In contrast, men often tend to use sex to assert dominance, project power, and not infrequently perceive it as a litmus test for self-esteem. It is, strongly speculative, yet, as a psychiatrist who has visited inside the heads of thousands of people over several decades, I believe, on June 30, 2003, sex represented different meanings for Kobe Bryant and his accuser: A physical encounter for one, and a potent and necessary weapon for power and fame for the other.
But regardless, one does not need to be a Nobel laureate not to confuse lack of common sense or the complexities of sexual behavior with violent acts. Because, rape is not about common sense, intimacy, or sex. Rape is a violent act, and, of course Kobe Bryant, an extraordinarily gifted, nice, young man is innocent until proven guilty. It is a simple truth, however, that his future will come down to two yet unanswered questions. Did he use physical force against his alleged victim, and what is the evidence for it?
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Editors: Dr. Salerian is available for interviews by contacting Ara Salerian or Deborah Peterson of the Washington Center for Psychiatry, 202-244-4337 or 202-320-0739.
Thanks for the insight. Sheesh!
He appears to have his tin cup out.
That leaves it wide open for the rest of us.
I think he's guilty of something: primarily of being deceitful husband and a hypocrite for accepting the "Teen Choice" award this past weekend. Anyone with a shred of decent morality would have declined the award based on the adultery aspect of the case alone.
Alas, that is not the case in modern America.
Psychiatric Help 5 cents.
The doctor is IN.
Why is this dren, news?
and then he married his daughter.
(Tells me all I need to know.)
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