Predator

Buayahon. There are those who observe keenly on the social movements looking for their prey. If they see younger people who are vulnerable, they pounce and consume their innocence. If they see others are born “different”, they call them names, laugh at them and feel powerful over the weaknesses of others. They become all-time bullies. When other people lack the aesthetics and wealth, they criticize their looks and status as if these are attached to them from birth… as if being NOT beautiful/handsome and poor are their mistakes.

Heinberg (2018) said that human groups have “preyed” upon one another via two main pathways—intragroup and intergroup—which have often intersected or run parallel. Members of a complex society can “prey” upon other members of the same society via slavery (including sex slavery and debt slavery), caste, class, taxes, rents, crime, and debt; on the other hand, one society can “prey” upon a different society through raid, invasion, plunder, conquest, colonization, or (again) debt. In addition, members of conquered “prey” societies can be enslaved by or absorbed into the “predator” society, becoming a permanent underclass.

Individual predators are those whose orientation and psychological makeup are skewed. There are those who were maltreated as a children with power and identity were snatched from them. It is in this constant need (to fill the gap) to have power over something or someone that they are pushed to become predators themselves.

The article of Heinberg continued that a complex or stratified human society can be thought of as an ecosystem. Within it, humans (all a single species), because of their differing social classes, roles, and occupations, can act, in effect, as different species. To the extent that some exploit others, we could say that some act as “predators,” others as “prey.”

We hear on the news how some older people snatch children and rape them (which they later kill and be dumped anywhere). We hear about teachers who lure their learners with food and clothes and later abuse them. We observe older men salivate over young girls to the point that they give catcalls and side-comments offensive to gender-equality.

Sexual predators have plenty of sexual experience but it is shallow.  Sex is a control operation for them.  They ordain the time and place of the encounter.  Seeking a conquest is the overriding aspect.  The perpetrator cares little what his “partner” experiences. The idea is to conquer a body, not have a relationship.  Achieving his objective provides him with a buildup.  He has sex on his mind a great deal of the time, looking at females or young males as potential targets (Samenow, 2017).

These days, we have the so-called iPredators. According to Nuccitelli (2006), iPredator is a person, group or nation who, directly or indirectly, engages in exploitation, victimization, coercion, stalking, theft or disparagement of others using Information and Communications Technology [ICT]. iPredators are driven by deviant fantasies, desires for power and control, retribution, religious fanaticism, political reprisal, psychiatric illness, perceptual distortions, peer acceptance or personal and financial gain.

They can be any age or gender and are not bound by economic status, race, religion or national heritage. iPredator is a global term used to distinguish anyone who engages in criminal, coercive, deviant or abusive behaviors using ICT. Central to the construct is the premise that Information Age criminals, deviants and the violently disturbed are psychopathological classifications new to humanity.

It is for this reason that individuals, parents, and child-protection advocates must be aware of the presence of such deviants. These persons might harm the well-being of the children and their future might be put at stake.

Individual reflections must also be taken by us. We might NOT be aware that we manifest symptoms of being a 21^st century predator as we consume the innocence of others; as we perform character assassination for our own benefit. We could create gossips so to make others become weaker than us. Or we might allow others feel helpless over the things which we make as crutches of power like our titles and position.

In the end, it is only our wisdom and knowledge that separate us. Yet with such, we could make cohesion exist as we continue to make ourselves be aware of the things around us and be a contributor of change. However small our movements are, we can create ripples.