I have a very systematic and habitual way of getting ready in the morning. One such aspect is a sit down breakfast while I watch the news with a cup of coffee. Recently, I’ve spent my mornings watching various news channels like CNN, the Today Show, and ESPN all discuss the evolving stories of sexual abuse in the realm of sport coaches. Two main stories focus on Jerry Sandusky of Pennsylvania State and Bernie Fine of Syracuse University. These stories help reveal that power tactics, power abuse, and other forms of power are prominent not only in the actions of the accused coaches, but in the media as well.
pictured: Bernie Fine
The main focus in the news today was placed on the Bernie Fine accusations put forward by a former player, Bobby Davis. Davis claims that “Fine molested him ‘hundreds of times’ over the course of 16 years, starting from when he was in the fifth or sixth grade.” According to the article, following the sex scandal eruption at Penn State, more victims pertaining to the Bernie Fine accusations felt it was time to come forward. These stories have swept the media by storm, have sickened many, destroyed reputations, and potentially harmed the lives of many young boys. I believe that a true understanding of the abuse of influence and power of these coaches will help deter these instances from happening in the future.
One component to be examined is the stereotypes that play a prominent role in the way these stories develop. Coaches are typically seen as people giving back to their communities, helping students and children excel and learn lifelong lessons through the impacts of sport. To many, it is not only shocking, but boarder line absurd to accuse coaches, like Bernie Fine of such an act. He has been with the Orangemen for 36 years and even Fine’s biography on the Syracuse webpage noted that Fine was “an active member of the Syracuse community.”
These stereotypes not only influence how we would interact with these prominent figures in society, but also how impressions are formed when people with a typically positive stereotype are portrayed in such an offensive manner. This action speaks to our tendencies to ignore disconfirming evidence.
Beyond just the stereotypes that are innate to our culture, the influence possessed by Bernie Fine is, in fact troubling. As CNN newsman Anderson Cooper describes; Bernie Fine and his wife Laurie were like a family to Bobby Davis who did not have a very good home life. Laurie even stated that she was the Mother that Bobby never had. These points provide evidence that some of Cialdini’s influence principles are evident in this case. For example, reciprocity is present in the fact that Bobby may have felt an obligation to his lifelong coach and second family. As well, all the evidence put forward shows that Bernie most likely used liking tactics to influence his victims. Not only were the victims young, but most looked up to and respected this long time coach who was well liked and respected in the community. And lastly, it is clear that Bernie Fine uses authority as another tactic for influence because he is the coach and these boys were his players which creates a relationship comparable to a boss and an employee. In other words, Fine had a position of power and in sexual abuse cases the connection between the victim and the abuser is such that there’s an extraordinary devotion to the abuser. These principles of liking, authority and reciprocity are set out in Cialdini’s article titled Harnessing the Science of Persuasion. A line at the beginning of the article really stands out to me. It is stated that persuaders “way with people is an art.” In the context of Bernie Fine, this art is obviously not art at all, but he was still be able to harness the principles of influence to pray on his victims, assuming the allegations are true.
In comparison to The Bases of Social Power discussed by French and Raven, I note that Bernie Fine undoubtedly possesses a few of these foundations. One example would be coercive power in the sense that he can use that source of power to bench players that did not do what he asked of them. There is also a reward power associated with Bernie’s ability to offer extra praise and playing time to players who complied with his demands. In these instances there would be the inclusion of negative valences which adds the component of punishment to the game of power. Although these bases of power exist, I do not believe that it would be beneficial for Bernie Fine or any accused sex offenders to abuse or use them on potential victims. This would create a threat of pent up anger or resentment in the victim’s minds and would lead to a higher chance of the victims coming forward with their stories. It is a well-known fact that the people who are most likely to sexually abuse someone are often the closest people to those victims. Under these clues, it is vital to reveal and educate people on such tactics so as awareness increases, the likelihood of such scandals will decrease.
The sex scandals that have recently surfaced in the media have helped portray the unethical abuse of power in such highly regarded positions. Coaches are often considered mentors, developers, and prominent figures in their communities. I also believe that the scandal surrounding Bernie Fine would not have surfaced if it was not able to piggy back off the Penn State scandal. This idea brings to light two points. One is that those with less power can gain power by acting together in a manner conducive to achieving a common goal. Second, the influence of the media to fuel these stories and the related investigations without police involvement shows the undeniable power the media has. Particularly, CNN and ESPN have the established credibility to promote these stories and bring to light the horrifying outcomes for many victims. Even though Bernie Fine’s allegations have not yet been proven, the story is quickly developing and evolving. I believe that in a few days’ time there will be a more definitive story pieced together and with that the power abuse and tactics will be exposed to ensure safety for children in the future.
If you are interested in additional background on the issue please feel free to check out this video:
