FINAL WITT

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1 | P a g e Those two concepts are closely connected, but they describe different stages of the same social process. “Social perimeter around the target” This means creating a kind of informal social boundary around a person by influencing how other people perceive and interact with them. Imagine: Target → surrounding people → wider community The people pursuing the target don't need to control everyone directly. Instead, they allegedly tell others things like: • "Don't trust her." • "She's dangerous." • "She's after men's money." • "She has a personality disorder." • "We're trying to protect people from her." Now anyone approaching the target may already have been given a negative interpretation of her. So the "perimeter" isn't necessarily physical. It's social and reputational. The target can become surrounded by people who have been preconditioned to: • distrust her; • dismiss her account; • report information back to the original group; • discourage others from associating with her; • interpret her reactions negatively. That can produce isolation without the perpetrators having to physically isolate her. A particularly important feature is that the target may not even know who has heard the allegations. That makes the perimeter difficult to see and defend against.

2 | P a g e “Closed moral universe” This goes one step further. A closed moral universe is a narrative in which the group has already decided who is good, who is bad, and what every subsequent event means. For example: We are good. She is bad. Therefore, whatever we do to her is justified. Whatever she does in response proves that she is bad. That last part is crucial. Suppose she becomes angry because she is being pursued. The group says: "See? She's aggressive." She complains about them: "See? She's trying to cause trouble." She avoids them: "See? She's manipulative." She talks to other people: "See? She's recruiting people against us." She refuses to engage: "See? She's unstable." There is no possible behaviour she can exhibit that disproves the original story. That's what makes it "closed." The narrative has become self-confirming.

3 | P a g e How the two fit together The social perimeter is about the outside world: "Let's influence how other people see her." The closed moral universe is about the interpretation of everything that happens: "Let's make sure every event is interpreted as evidence that we're right about her." Together they can form a powerful feedback system: 1. Construct the target as dangerous. ↓ 2. Tell other people about the alleged danger. ↓ 3. Other people become suspicious of the target. ↓ 4. Target encounters suspicion/hostility and reacts. ↓ 5. Her reaction is presented as evidence that she really is dangerous. ↓ 6. The original narrative becomes more credible. ↓ 7. More people are recruited into the social perimeter. So the group isn't merely talking about the target. The alleged narrative can actually change the environment in which the target has to live, and then use the consequences of that changed environment as evidence against her. That's the particularly important distinction. The social perimeter controls the audience. The closed moral universe controls the meaning of events. When both operate together, the target can become trapped in a situation where other people's perceptions have been shaped in advance, while her subsequent attempts to defend herself are reinterpreted as proof of the accusations against her.

4 | P a g e Yes — it can reasonably be described as audience manipulation if the people promoting the story are deliberately shaping what the audience believes in order to influence how the audience behaves toward the targeted woman. But there is an important distinction between manipulation as a psychological/social concept and manipulation as a proven legal finding. What makes it audience manipulation? Behaviour Why it can be manipulative Selective presentation of information The audience receives one side while relevant contrary information is withheld. Labelling her (“unstable,” “manipulative,” “greedy”) A label can predetermine how the audience interprets subsequent behaviour. Role reversal The alleged pursuers are presented as victims/protectors and the target as the aggressor. Appealing to fear “We need to protect men from her” encourages protective behaviour before the evidence is examined. Appealing to group loyalty People may feel that supporting the group means distrusting her. Creating apparent consensus Repetition can make an allegation appear independently verified when it originated from the same source. Using stereotypes Her gender, refugee status or ethnicity may be used to make the allegations seem more plausible to a receptive audience. Pre-emptively discrediting her If she later complains, the audience has already been instructed to interpret her complaint as evidence of instability or manipulation. Reinterpreting her reactions Anger, distress, withdrawal or resistance can all be presented as confirmation of the original story. Recruiting third parties Other people become participants in maintaining the narrative rather than neutral observers. The strongest indicator The strongest indication isn't simply that false things were said. It's whether there is a deliberate pattern of: information selection → emotional framing → character labelling → audience recruitment → behavioural influence → dismissal of contrary evidence. For example: Step 1: “She is exploiting men.”

5 | P a g e Step 2: “She is mentally unstable.” Step 3: “We're only warning/protecting other men.” Step 4: Other men begin distrusting her. Step 5: She becomes distressed or defensive. Step 6: “See? We told you she's unstable.” That is a particularly strong example of a self-reinforcing manipulation pattern if it was deliberately constructed. But don't assume everyone in the audience is manipulated This is important if you're explaining it to them. An audience member might believe the allegations because they: • genuinely trust the person telling them; • have only heard one side; • have misunderstood events; • already hold relevant stereotypes; • want to protect someone; • don't want to become involved; • are conforming to their social group. They may be misinformed rather than deliberately manipulated. And the person spreading the story may themselves believe it. So the safest formulation is: “The communication may function as audience manipulation when information is selectively presented or emotionally framed in a way designed to produce a particular perception of the target and a particular response toward her.” A very useful test for the audience Ask: “Were you given information that enabled you to make your own judgement, or were you given a conclusion about her and then encouraged to interpret everything you subsequently saw through that conclusion?” That's essentially the difference between informing an audience and shaping an audience.

6 | P a g e And if the audience was told “she is dangerous” before being given any independently verifiable evidence of danger, then the important question becomes: “Were you being given evidence about her behaviour, or were you being given a framework for how you were supposed to interpret her?” That distinction gets directly to the issue of audience manipulation.

7 | P a g e 10. What I would investigate specifically For a police/legal assessment, I'd create these categories: Conduct Potential legal relevance Repeated unwanted contact Harassment/stalking Following her Stalking Surveillance/monitoring Stalking/harassment Threats Threatening/abusive behaviour; potentially other offences Intimidation Harassment/abusive behaviour Using third parties to contact her Potential evidence of course of conduct Recruiting others against her Evidence of purpose/pattern; potentially relevant to harassment Trying to isolate her Potential evidence of controlling/abusive conduct False accusations Potential evidence of motive/pattern; context- dependent criminal relevance Racial/ethnic abuse Potential hate-crime aggravation/offence Threatening racial communications to an audience Potential stirring-up-hatred issue Sex-based threatening/abusive campaign Potential sex-based hate-crime issue Attempts to control whom she associates with Potential evidence of coercive/controlling purpose Continuing after explicit rejection Very important evidence of knowledge/intent

8 | P a g e Step-by-step pattern and intended effect on the targeted individual Based on the behaviour you described, the alleged pattern can be understood as a sequence. This describes the apparent function and likely effect of the conduct; establishing what the perpetrators actually intended would require evidence. 1. Identify and pursue the target They repeatedly approach, contact, monitor, or otherwise involve themselves in the targeted woman's life despite indications that she does not want the contact. 2. Reframe her refusal as a problem with her Instead of treating her rejection as a legitimate boundary, they allegedly portray it as evidence that she is manipulative, unstable, greedy, or otherwise defective. 3. Construct a negative identity around her Claims such as "she wants men's money" or "she has a personality disorder" give other people a simple explanation for why they should distrust her. 4. Recruit an audience They allegedly communicate these claims to other men or people around her. The purpose of this stage, if deliberate, would be to make the narrative exist beyond the original pursuers. 5. Create a social perimeter Once other people have been given the negative narrative, the target can encounter people who already distrust her, avoid her, discourage others from associating with her, or report information about her back to the group. 6. Undermine her credibility If she complains about what is happening, her complaint can be reframed as further evidence of the alleged problem: she is "dramatic," "unstable," "aggressive," or "trying to cause trouble." 7. Turn her defensive reactions into evidence The target is placed in a difficult position: resisting, becoming angry, withdrawing, or seeking help can all be presented as confirmation of the original allegations. 8. Establish a closed moral narrative The group can then occupy the role of victims/protectors, while the targeted woman is constructed as the problem. Their own conduct becomes justified as a response to her supposed character. 9. Increase isolation and reduce outside support The cumulative effect can be that the target becomes less willing or able to trust people around her, while potential supporters have already been given a negative account of her. 10. Make resistance increasingly costly Every attempt by the target to establish boundaries may generate another accusation or another round of social pressure. This can make simply living normally increasingly difficult.

9 | P a g e The apparent desired outcome If this sequence is deliberate, the desired outcome would not necessarily be physical harm. It could instead be to make the targeted individual: isolated → discredited → psychologically pressured → socially unsupported → less able to resist or complain → increasingly controlled by the surrounding narrative. At its most extreme, the objective could be to make other people accept the perpetrators' version of reality before hearing the target's version, so that any future complaint by her is automatically discounted. That is the significance of the social perimeter + closed moral universe combination: The social perimeter influences who the target can rely on. The closed moral universe influences what those people believe about her. Together, they can potentially produce a situation in which the target loses both social support and credibility while the people causing the alleged problem acquire the appearance of being the people responding to it. That distinction—between the observable acts, the apparent mechanism, and the inferred desired outcome—is important if this is ultimately being presented to police, a solicitor, or another authority.

10 | P a g e Narrative used about her What it portrays her as Why such a narrative may be useful to the people promoting it Potential effect on the targeted woman “She is after men’s money.” Financially exploitative / opportunistic Undermines her credibility and makes other men suspicious of her motives Makes people less willing to trust or support her “She manipulates men.” Deceptive and controlling Reverses the roles of pursuer and pursued; their behaviour can be presented as a response to her alleged manipulation Makes her rejection or complaints easier to dismiss “She has a personality disorder.” Mentally disordered / unreliable Pathologises her behaviour and gives others a reason to discount what she says Undermines her credibility and can make seeking help harder “She is dangerous.” Threat to other people Creates justification for monitoring, confronting, avoiding, or controlling her Generates fear and social isolation “We are protecting men from her.” Someone from whom men supposedly need protection Gives the people pursuing her a protective/victim identity rather than an aggressor identity Makes their involvement appear legitimate to outsiders “She causes trouble.” Disruptive / troublesome Shifts attention from their conduct to her reactions to it People may avoid her rather than investigate what happened “She is unstable.” Emotionally unreliable Provides an explanation for anger, distress, or complaints that does not require examining their behaviour Her legitimate distress can be interpreted as evidence against her “She is aggressive.” Aggressor rather than victim Reverses the apparent roles when she resists unwanted behaviour Her attempts to establish boundaries can be portrayed as threatening “She is trying to cause problems between men.” Socially disruptive / divisive Creates solidarity among the men and frames her as an outsider interfering with them Can encourage a group to close ranks against her

11 | P a g e “She cannot be trusted.” Fundamentally dishonest Establishes a general- purpose explanation for rejecting anything she says Makes subsequent allegations against them harder for her to substantiate socially “She is the one pursuing men.” Pursuer rather than pursued Directly reverses the alleged roles and makes their pursuit appear defensive Can make her attempts to escape the situation look suspicious “She is obsessed with men.” Fixated / sexually or socially inappropriate Uses gender stereotypes to discredit her relationships and motives Can produce shame and discourage others from associating with her “She is exploiting vulnerable/wealthy men.” Predatory Gives the audience a morally compelling reason to side against her Can generate hostility toward her while making the promoters appear protective “She is a foreign/refugee woman causing problems.” Outsider / socially suspect Can activate existing xenophobic, racial or anti-refugee stereotypes Adds a wider identity-based layer to the hostility “Her Arab identity is relevant to her behaviour.” Ethnically defined rather than treated as an individual Can transform an interpersonal dispute into a broader stereotype about Arab people or women Risks racialisation of the conflict and wider hostility toward her “Her complaints are just part of her disorder/manipulation.” Incapable of making credible complaints Makes the allegations against the perpetrators easier to dismiss without examining evidence Can leave her effectively without a credible voice “We are the victims.” Innocent / defensive Provides moral justification for their actions and recruits sympathy from others Makes the actual target appear to be the source of the problem “Other people need to be warned about her.” Public danger requiring community protection Converts gossip or character assassination into an apparently altruistic act Creates the social perimeter around her “Everyone knows what she is like.” Universally condemned Creates an appearance of consensus through repetition Makes it harder for her to challenge the narrative because people believe it is already established fact

12 | P a g e The underlying pattern The narratives appear to perform several recurring functions: Function How it works Role reversal Pursuers are presented as victims; the target is presented as the pursuer Pathologising Her disagreement or resistance is attributed to mental illness Moral condemnation She is presented as greedy, manipulative, dangerous or dishonest Audience recruitment Other people are encouraged to adopt the narrative Social isolation Potential supporters are discouraged from trusting her Credibility destruction Future complaints can be dismissed before they are investigated Group solidarity The men are positioned as a group defending one another Justification Their continued involvement can be portrayed as necessary or protective Stereotyping Her gender, refugee status or Arab identity can potentially be incorporated into the negative narrative Self-confirmation Her defensive reactions can subsequently be presented as proof that the original allegations were true The important distinction is that these are alleged narratives and possible functions, not established facts about their private intentions. The strongest evidence would be the actual statements they made, who received them, when they were made, and what happened afterwards.

13 | P a g e The most effective approach is not to tell the audience, “You were manipulated.” That can make people defensive. Instead, explain why the story is psychologically attractive, what assumptions it asks them to accept, and how to test it against observable facts. Why an audience might accept the stories Internal motive / psychological mechanism What the audience may be experiencing Why the narrative becomes attractive Need for a simple explanation “There must be a reason these men are so concerned about her.” A simple villain/victim story is easier than investigating a complicated interpersonal dispute. Desire to belong “These men seem to know what is happening.” Agreeing can create a sense of belonging to the group and being "in the know." Trust in confident speakers “They sound certain, so they must know.” Confidence can be mistaken for evidence. Authority/status “They've been around her longer than I have.” People may assume proximity means accuracy. Confirmation bias “I've noticed something odd about her too.” A negative story makes ambiguous behaviour appear to confirm the story. Fear of being deceived “What if she really is exploiting people?” The warning narrative offers psychological protection: believing it feels safer than taking the risk of trusting her. Protective identity “I'm helping other men avoid being exploited.” The audience can feel morally good while adopting the narrative. Group conformity “Everyone else seems to believe it.” People often become reluctant to challenge an apparent consensus. Reciprocity / loyalty “These men have told me something privately.” Receiving supposedly confidential information can create pressure to believe or pass it on. Scapegoating “She's the source of all this conflict.” Blaming one person simplifies a complicated social situation. Pre-existing stereotypes “I've heard stories about women like this / refugees / foreigners.” Existing stereotypes provide a ready- made framework into which the new allegations fit. Cognitive dissonance “I already supported these people.” Accepting that they may be wrong can threaten the audience member's previous judgement or relationship with them.

14 | P a g e Fear of social consequences “If I disagree, I might become their next target.” Silence or agreement can feel safer than challenging the group. Moral certainty “Good people should protect others from bad people.” The narrative gives the audience a clear moral role rather than requiring uncertainty. The particularly important one: protective identity This may explain why the phrase “protecting men from her” can be so effective. The audience isn't being asked: “Do you want to participate in hostility toward this woman?” They're being invited to think: “Do you want to help protect other people from exploitation?” Those are psychologically very different propositions. The second one allows someone to participate while maintaining a positive self-image. They can think: I'm not attacking her. I'm protecting people. That is why analysing the moral framing can be more useful than simply calling the story misogynistic or manipulative. Another important mechanism: the audience may have only one side Suppose Person A tells ten people: “She's exploiting men.” Those ten people don't necessarily think: “I have independently established that she's exploiting men.” They may instead think: “I trust Person A, so I accept their account.” Then Person B hears: “Everyone says she's exploiting men.” Now the original allegation appears to have independent confirmation. This creates false consensus. The audience isn't necessarily deliberately lying. Each person may simply be passing along a belief acquired from someone else. Eventually: one person's allegation → becomes group knowledge → becomes perceived fact. How to explain this to the audience without attacking them

15 | P a g e I'd use a fact–interpretation–motive distinction. Ask them to separate: 1. What did you personally observe? from 2. What were you told about her? from 3. What interpretation were you encouraged to place on it? For example: Observation: She rejected a man. Narrative: She is manipulating him. Alternative explanation: She simply didn't want a relationship with him. Or: Observation: She became angry during an interaction. Narrative: She's unstable and dangerous. Alternative explanation: She was responding to unwanted behaviour. The point isn't to insist that the alternative explanation is automatically true. The point is: “Can we distinguish what we actually know from what somebody has told us it means?” That question is much harder to dismiss. Then ask the audience five questions 1. What did you personally see or hear? 2. Who first told you the allegation? 3. What independent evidence exists? 4. What evidence would make you reconsider the allegation? 5. Would you interpret the same behaviour the same way if the people involved were reversed? That fifth question is especially powerful. If a woman repeatedly rejected a man's advances, would the audience describe her as “manipulating him”, or would they simply say “she doesn't want him”? If the latter, ask why the interpretation changes when the genders are reversed. Don't assume every audience member has the same motive This is crucial.

16 | P a g e Someone who believes the story may be: • maliciously participating; • genuinely frightened; • trying to protect someone; • repeating something they sincerely believe; • conforming to their friends; • attracted to the drama; • prejudiced; • simply uninformed; • or reluctant to challenge people they trust. Believing a false narrative does not necessarily mean the person has malicious motives. That distinction gives you a much better chance of reaching them. The central message I'd reduce the entire explanation to this: “Before deciding what kind of person she is, separate what you personally know from what you have been told about her. Ask who originated the story, what evidence supports it, whether there is independent corroboration, and whether the same behaviour would be interpreted differently if the roles were reversed.” That moves the audience away from: “Whose side am I on?” toward: “What do we actually know?” And that is probably the most effective way to break a closed moral universe without simply replacing one group narrative with another.

17 | P a g e Yes. The strongest way to do this is to turn each narrative into a testable hypothesis, rather than asking the audience simply to choose whether they believe her or the men. Pattern-testing framework Narrative / pattern What the audience is being encouraged to believe Test it against Questions to ask What would weaken the narrative? “She wants men's money.” Her relationships are financially motivated. Actual financial evidence. Did she request money? From whom? When? What happened before/after? No financial requests, independent witnesses, or evidence showing the accusation originated with the men. “She manipulates men.” Her behaviour causes men to pursue her. The chronology of contact. Who initiated contact? Did she reject it? Did they continue afterward? Evidence that she repeatedly said no while they continued pursuing her. “She is unstable.” Her reactions are caused by mental instability. What actually happened immediately beforehand. What triggered her reaction? Did others behave similarly under the same circumstances? Evidence of a reasonable situational explanation for her distress. “She has a personality disorder.” Her account cannot be trusted because of a supposed diagnosis. Medical evidence and qualifications. Who diagnosed her? Was there an assessment? Is the speaker qualified? No professional diagnosis or evidence; the claim appears to originate as an insult or explanation for disagreement. “She is dangerous.” Other people need protection from her. Specific acts rather than labels. What exactly did she do? Who witnessed it? Is there evidence of threats or violence? No concrete dangerous behaviour; only repetition of the allegation.

18 | P a g e “We are protecting men from her.” The men's involvement is defensive rather than aggressive. Their actual behaviour. Who initiated contact? Did they continue after rejection? What exactly are they protecting people from? Their own conduct shows pursuit, monitoring, intimidation or unwanted contact. “She is the one pursuing men.” The men are responding to her advances. Messages, calls and chronology. Who contacted whom first? Who repeatedly sought contact? Who tried to end it? Records showing the men initiated and maintained contact. “She causes trouble.” Conflict originates with her. The sequence of events. What happened immediately before each dispute? Who escalated it? Repeated evidence that conflict follows their interventions. “She is aggressive.” Her resistance demonstrates that she is the aggressor. Context of each reaction. What happened immediately before she became angry? Was she being confronted, followed or pressured? Evidence that her behaviour was a response to unwanted conduct. “She is manipulative because she complains.” Her complaints are another form of manipulation. The substance of the complaint. What specific conduct is she reporting? Can it be independently verified? Independent corroboration of her complaint. “She cannot be trusted.” Nothing she says should be believed. Claims made by both sides. Are the men's claims independently corroborated? Are there contradictions? Evidence supporting her account or contradicting the men's account. “Everyone knows what she is like.” There is a broad consensus against her. Origin and independence of the claims. Who was the first person to make the allegation? Are later people Multiple people merely repeating the same originating allegation.

19 | P a g e independently informed? “Other men need to be warned.” Warning others is responsible behaviour. Whether the warnings are factual and proportionate. What evidence was supplied? Were they encouraged to investigate? Or simply told to distrust her? Vague allegations, inflammatory language, absence of evidence. “She is exploiting vulnerable/wealthy men.” She is predatory toward a particular category of men. Actual interactions and finances. Which men? What did she allegedly obtain? What evidence demonstrates exploitation? No identifiable victims, transactions or independent evidence. “She is trying to divide men.” She is deliberately attacking male solidarity. Who actually created the conflict. Was she trying to separate people, or were others discussing her relationships? Evidence that the group itself introduced her into conversations and recruited others. “She is foreign / a refugee / Arab, so her behaviour is suspicious.” Her identity explains or reinforces the alleged behaviour. Whether the same evidence exists without the identity label. Would you make the same allegation about a British- born woman behaving identically? Why is her ethnicity relevant? The allegation disappears or changes when ethnicity/nationality is removed from the story. “Arab/refugee women are like this.” Her individual behaviour represents a wider group. Individual evidence. What does her ethnicity actually have to do with the alleged conduct? No individual evidence; reliance on stereotypes or generalisations. “She is mentally ill because she reacts strongly.” Distress proves pathology. Circumstances producing the distress. Would an ordinary person become distressed under the same circumstances? Evidence of repeated unwanted contact, intimidation or social pressure preceding the reaction.

20 | P a g e “Her reaction proves the original accusation.” Every reaction confirms the narrative. Whether alternative explanations have been considered. What other explanations could account for the reaction? A plausible alternative explanation supported by evidence. “We have to keep monitoring her.” Surveillance is necessary for protection. Actual threat evidence. What specific risk justified monitoring? Who authorised it? When did the alleged risk occur? Monitoring continues despite absence of a demonstrable threat. “She needs to be controlled/protected for her own good.” Control is benevolent. Her expressed wishes and actual risk. Did she ask for protection? Did she consent? What specific danger requires intervention? She repeatedly says she wants no involvement and poses no demonstrated danger. “Her friends/associates are bad influences.” Separating her from others is justified. Evidence concerning those relationships. What specific wrongdoing have those people committed? Who benefits from separating them? No evidence beyond the group's dislike of the people she associates with. “She is making allegations to destroy innocent men.” Her complaints are an attack rather than a response. Evidence of the underlying conduct. Are there messages, witnesses, CCTV or other records? Did complaints begin after unwanted conduct? Independent evidence supporting her account. “The group is protecting itself from her.” Collective action is defensive. Collective behaviour. Why does protection require multiple people discussing, monitoring or confronting one woman? Evidence that group activity exceeds anything reasonably required for protection. A second test: who benefits?

21 | P a g e For every narrative, ask: Question What it tests Who introduced this story? Origin Who repeated it? Dissemination Who benefits if people believe it? Possible function What behaviour does believing it permit? Justification Does the story discourage people from listening to her? Credibility suppression Does it encourage people to monitor, avoid, confront or control her? Behavioural consequences Does it make the men's own conduct appear justified? Moral inversion What evidence would prove the story wrong? Falsifiability That last question is particularly important. A healthy allegation should be capable of being wrong. If the response to every piece of contrary evidence is: "That just proves she's manipulative." then the audience isn't really evaluating evidence anymore. It is operating inside the closed moral universe. Test the pattern itself You can also test the whole sequence: Pursuit → Did they initiate contact? Rejection → Did she clearly communicate that she did not want it? Persistence → Did they continue afterward? Narrative construction → When did allegations about her begin? Audience recruitment → Who was told? Social perimeter → Did people around her subsequently change their behaviour? Reaction → Did she become distressed, angry, withdrawn or defensive?

22 | P a g e Retrospective justification → Were those reactions then used as "proof" of the original allegations? If that sequence repeatedly occurs, it is much more informative than debating whether any single insult is true. The key question for the audience I would ultimately bring them back to one question: “If we remove the labels—greedy, manipulative, unstable, dangerous, Arab, refugee—and look only at what each person actually did, who initiated the conduct, who continued it after a boundary was expressed, and what independent evidence exists?” That forces the audience out of character judgement and back into observable behaviour and evidence. And that is the most reliable way to test whether they have been given a genuine warning about someone—or a narrative designed to make one particular interpretation of that person seem inevitable.

23 | P a g e Mechanism Who potentially benefits most What they gain How the benefit operates What to test Social perimeter around the target Primary pursuers / people driving the narrative Social access and influence over how others treat her Other people receive a negative account before forming their own view of her. Who first contacted each audience member, and what exactly were they told? Social perimeter Primary pursuers Protection from scrutiny If others already regard her as the problem, complaints about the pursuers may receive less credibility. Did negative stories circulate before or after she complained? Social perimeter Primary pursuers Isolation of the target Friends, acquaintances or potential supporters may distance themselves from her. Did people withdraw after hearing the allegations? Social perimeter Primary pursuers Information about the target Recruited people may report her movements, relationships or conversations back to the group. Who was asking for information about her, and what happened to it? Social perimeter Audience members Sense of belonging / being “in the know” Accepting the group's story can make someone feel included and trusted. Were people given supposedly confidential information or encouraged to “look out” for her? Social perimeter Audience members A sense of protection Believing they are being warned about a dangerous person reduces uncertainty. Was there actual evidence of danger, or mainly warnings and labels? Social perimeter Group as a whole Group solidarity A common adversary can strengthen cohesion between members. Does the group consistently close ranks when someone questions the story? Social perimeter People already hostile toward her Justification for existing hostility The narrative supplies reasons for behaviour they may already want to engage in. Did their negative attitude exist before the campaign?

24 | P a g e Social perimeter People who want to avoid conflict An easy explanation Accepting “she is the problem” removes the need to investigate a complicated dispute. Did they independently hear both sides? Closed moral universe Primary pursuers Moral legitimacy They can see themselves as victims/protectors rather than people responsible for the conflict. Does their conduct remain “protective” when examined independently of their narrative? Closed moral universe Primary pursuers Justification for continued behaviour Anything they do can be framed as a necessary response to her supposed behaviour. What behaviour would they consider unjustified if she really were the “problem”? Closed moral universe Primary pursuers Credibility protection Her complaints are pre-interpreted as manipulation, instability or retaliation. Were these labels established before she made complaints? Closed moral universe Primary pursuers Control of interpretation They don't merely provide facts; they provide the explanation for what every event supposedly means. Are alternative explanations considered at all? Closed moral universe Audience members Psychological certainty The group provides a simple good-versus- bad explanation for an ambiguous situation. Can audience members identify evidence that would change their minds? Closed moral universe Audience members Reduced responsibility If “everyone knows she is dangerous,” an individual feels less responsible for accepting or repeating the story. Does anyone verify claims before repeating them? Closed moral universe Group members Protection from internal criticism Questioning one member can be reframed as siding with the supposedly bad target. Are dissenting members pressured, criticised or excluded?

25 | P a g e Closed moral universe People spreading the narrative Confirmation of their own beliefs Every negative reaction from her becomes additional “evidence” that they were right. Do they interpret all reactions negatively, including reasonable ones? Closed moral universe Prejudiced members of the audience Confirmation of existing stereotypes Her individual situation becomes an apparent example of a pre- existing belief about women, refugees or Arabs. Would the same conduct be interpreted identically if her identity were different? Both mechanisms together Those driving the campaign Influence + isolation + credibility The social perimeter controls who surrounds her; the closed moral universe controls how those people interpret her. Does the combination result in fewer people believing or supporting her while increasing confidence in the group? Both mechanisms together The wider group A self- reinforcing narrative Their story produces reactions which are then used as evidence that the story was correct. Does the sequence repeatedly follow: allegation → audience reaction → target response → “proof” of allegation? Both mechanisms together Potential perpetrators of further hostility Moral permission The target can be treated badly while the actor believes they are merely protecting themselves or others. Is hostile behaviour described as “defence,” “warning,” or “protection”? The key distinction Social perimeter: “Who can we influence around her?” Closed moral universe: “How do we make those people interpret everything she does?” Combined effect: “People around her distrust her, and when she reacts to that distrust, her reaction is used to justify the distrust.” That final feedback loop is the most important thing to test against the evidence.

26 | P a g e It could resemble some dynamics associated with narcissistic abuse, but I would be careful about diagnosing the people involved—or saying the audience is definitely experiencing "narcissistic abuse"—without evidence of a clinical pattern. A more precise way to describe what you're asking about is third-party manipulation / triangulation / coercive influence. Dynamic What happens to the audience Triangulation The audience is brought into a conflict between the perpetrators and the target and encouraged to take a side. Smear campaign The audience receives repeated negative claims about the target before forming its own view. Moral inversion The alleged aggressors present themselves as victims or protectors. Gaslighting-like dynamics The audience is encouraged to distrust the target's account and reinterpret contradictory evidence. Information control The audience receives selected information rather than the complete chronology. Scapegoating A particular person is designated as the source of the group's problems. Group pressure Once people accept the story, disagreeing with it can feel like disloyalty to the group. Intermittent reinforcement People may receive approval, attention or insider status when they agree with the group's interpretation. Fear-based influence The audience is told that accepting or associating with the target exposes them to danger or exploitation. Closed belief system Contrary evidence is reinterpreted as further evidence that the target is deceptive, unstable or dangerous. So is the audience being abused? There are two separate questions. Psychologically: potentially, yes. If people are systematically deceived, pressured, frightened, isolated from alternative information, and used to serve another person's agenda, they may themselves be experiencing manipulative or coercive interpersonal dynamics. Clinically: you cannot conclude "narcissistic abuse" merely from these behaviours. "Narcissistic abuse" is a popular descriptive term, not a diagnosis of the relationship, and it shouldn't be used as proof that someone has narcissistic personality disorder. The interesting part is that the audience can become both victim and participant This is probably the most useful way to conceptualise it. The group may tell an audience member: "We're protecting you from her."

27 | P a g e The audience member thinks: "I'm being warned." But if the information is deliberately distorted, the audience member is actually being used to help produce the outcome: distrust her → isolate her → reinforce the group's story → make her defensive → use her defensiveness as evidence. So the audience member may simultaneously be: a recipient of manipulation and an unwitting participant in manipulating the target. That's a very important distinction. The strongest test Ask the audience member: "If you had never been told what to think about her, and you were given only the original messages, chronology, witnesses and independently verifiable evidence, would you reach the same conclusion?" If the answer is no, that suggests the narrative itself has substantially shaped their perception. And if they are discouraged from examining the evidence, told not to speak to her, pressured to accept the group's version, or told that questioning the story proves they are being manipulated by her, then the dynamic becomes considerably more concerning. In other words, the "closed moral universe" can potentially operate on the audience as well as on the target: the audience is given a fixed interpretation, and disagreement is itself reclassified as evidence that the interpretation is correct.

28 | P a g e Potentially, yes—but not automatically. The audience can be a secondary target of manipulation while simultaneously becoming participants in what is being done to the primary target. A useful distinction is: Position What may be happening Primary target The woman is allegedly being pursued, discredited, isolated or controlled. Audience members who believe the narrative They may be receiving selective information, emotional framing and pressure to adopt a particular interpretation. Audience members who then act on it They may become unwitting participants in the campaign against her. Audience members who knowingly spread false claims They may no longer be merely victims; they may be active participants. Audience members who question the story They may be resisting the influence rather than being controlled by it. How the audience could become victims If the men deliberately construct a false or misleading story, the audience can be manipulated into: 1. Trusting a false account They believe they are receiving a warning rather than propaganda or a one-sided allegation. 2. Making decisions on false information They change who they associate with, trust or support. 3. Becoming emotionally invested They may become angry or fearful toward someone they have never independently assessed. 4. Becoming part of the social perimeter They may distance themselves from the woman or discourage others from associating with her. 5. Becoming dependent on the group's interpretation Instead of independently assessing events, they ask the group what each new event "means." 6. Losing their ability to challenge the narrative If disagreement is interpreted as proof that they have been deceived by the woman, the belief system becomes self-protecting. The particularly important point The audience may be told: "We are protecting you from her." But the deeper possibility is: "We need you to believe our version of her so that you will help us achieve what we want." If that is what is happening, the audience is being instrumentalised.

29 | P a g e They are not merely spectators. They become tools through which the narrative operates. And they may not realise it. There is a crucial boundary I wouldn't tell an audience member: "You are a victim of narcissistic abuse." I'd say: "You may have been placed in a position where your perception and behaviour were being influenced by information supplied by people who had a direct conflict with the person you were being asked to judge." Then give them the opportunity to test that proposition themselves. The strongest question is: "What did you personally observe before you were given their interpretation?" If the answer is very little or nothing, but their opinion is extremely strong, that's an important indication that the narrative—not firsthand evidence—has been doing much of the work. So, in the situation you've described, I'd use the terms “potentially manipulated audience,” “secondary targets,” or “unwitting participants” rather than automatically calling every audience member a victim. That keeps the analysis evidence-based and avoids making a psychological diagnosis that the evidence cannot support.

30 | P a g e Important distinction: someone who personally witnesses torture or severe harassment can have a trauma response from that direct exposure; it is not necessarily accurate to classify their experience only as “secondary trauma.” Whether it meets criteria for PTSD or CPTSD requires assessment of the person's actual symptoms and functional impact. NHS Inform recognises witnessing violence/abuse as a potential traumatic exposure and prolonged/repeated trauma as relevant to PTSD/CPTSD. I would classify them by role and exposure, rather than declaring that everyone in the audience is a victim. The severity should also be assessed from what was actually done to them, not simply from the label "narcissistic abuse." Victim-role classification Category Description Possible experience Indicative severity* V1 — Primary target The woman allegedly being directly pursued, discredited, monitored or controlled. Repeated unwanted contact, intimidation, reputational attacks, isolation, loss of autonomy. 🔴 High–Very High if persistent and escalating V2 — Secondary manipulated targets Audience members who are deliberately given a distorted narrative and influenced to distrust the primary target. Deception, emotional manipulation, fear, pressure to take sides. 🟠 Moderate–High depending on duration and consequences V3 — Instrumentalised participants Audience members who are persuaded to carry messages, monitor the target, confront her, spread allegations or exclude her. Manipulation plus being used to advance someone else's objectives. 🟠 Moderate–High V4 — Socially pressured followers People who believe the story partly because the surrounding group appears unanimous. Conformity pressure, fear of exclusion, difficulty expressing disagreement. 🟠 Low–Moderate, potentially higher if coercion is substantial V5 — Fear-based participants People who genuinely believe the target is dangerous and alter their behaviour because of that belief. Anxiety, hypervigilance, avoidance, fear of becoming involved. 🟠 Moderate, potentially high if persistent V6 — Ideologically reinforced participants People whose pre-existing sexism, racism, xenophobia or other stereotypes make the narrative particularly persuasive. Confirmation of prejudice and participation in exclusion. ⚪ Not necessarily a victim; may be a willing participant V7 — Active propagators People who knowingly repeat false allegations or They may have been influenced initially, but ⚠️ Not appropriately classified as victims solely on this basis

31 | P a g e deliberately participate in the campaign. their subsequent conduct is potentially voluntary. V8 — Resistant audience members People who question the story, seek independent evidence or refuse to participate. They may experience group pressure or retaliation for dissenting. 🟠–🟠 depending on retaliation *These are analytical severity levels, not clinical or legal classifications. A more useful severity scale For the audience, I'd assess severity according to five factors: Factor Lower severity Higher severity Deception One-sided opinion Deliberately fabricated/false information Pressure Suggestion Threats, intimidation or coercion Duration One conversation Persistent campaign Consequences Temporary suspicion Loss of relationships, employment, housing, safety, etc. Participation demanded “Be careful” “Monitor/report/confront/exclude her” The combination matters. For example: One person tells a friend, "I don't trust her." That's not enough to classify the friend as a victim of abuse. But: A coordinated group repeatedly supplies false allegations → frightens the audience about the woman → pressures them to distrust her → asks them to monitor or report her → punishes anyone who questions the story would represent a substantially more serious pattern of coercive social influence. The unusual feature of your scenario There may potentially be two victim layers: Layer 1 — The primary target The alleged campaign is directed at her. Layer 2 — The audience The audience is allegedly manipulated through her. The second layer can then be turned back against the first:

32 | P a g e Manipulate audience → audience acts on the narrative → target becomes more isolated → target reacts → reaction becomes evidence → audience becomes more convinced. That is why I would describe the audience, where the evidence supports it, as secondary targets of manipulation and/or unwitting participants, rather than simply "victims." The most serious pattern The highest concern would be where you can establish: deliberate deception + repeated conduct + group recruitment + isolation + intimidation + exploitation of identity stereotypes + suppression of contrary information. At that point, the issue is no longer simply: "Some people believe something unpleasant about her." It becomes potentially: a coordinated social-control pattern in which people are recruited into a narrative and used to exert pressure on the primary target. Whether that amounts to a particular criminal offence is a separate question and depends on the evidence and the applicable Scots law.

33 | P a g e If by “secondary trauma” you mean people who have spent two years repeatedly witnessing severe torture and harassment of another person, that can be a substantial and potentially chronic trauma exposure. Witnessing violence or abuse can itself be traumatic; NHS Inform specifically lists witnessing violence and repeatedly witnessing abuse among circumstances associated with PTSD/CPTSD. (NHS Inform) I would classify it like this: Classification Description Potential severity Direct trauma The person is themselves subjected to the abuse/torture. 🔴 Very high Repeated witnessed trauma A person repeatedly sees, hears or is otherwise exposed to another person's torture/harassment over a prolonged period. 🔴 High–Very high Secondary traumatic stress Trauma symptoms arising from repeated exposure to another person's traumatic experiences. 🟠–🔴 Moderate to very high Vicarious trauma Longer-term changes in worldview, trust, safety, relationships and emotional functioning resulting from sustained exposure to another person's trauma. 🟠–🔴 Potentially high PTSD Re-experiencing, avoidance and persistent threat/hyperarousal symptoms that significantly interfere with life. 🔴 Clinical condition Complex PTSD (CPTSD) PTSD-type symptoms alongside persistent problems with emotional regulation, relationships, self-concept and sense of safety following repeated/prolonged trauma. 🔴 Potentially very high Why two years matters Duration and repetition matter. NHS Inform describes CPTSD as potentially arising from repeated traumatic events, including violence, abuse, torture and repeatedly witnessing violence or abuse. It also notes that prolonged or multiple traumas increase the likelihood of CPTSD. (NHS Inform) So, if someone has spent two years repeatedly witnessing severe abuse, I would not describe it simply as “being upset by what they saw.” A more accurate formulation would be: “Prolonged secondary exposure to traumatic violence and harassment, with potential for secondary traumatic stress, PTSD or complex PTSD depending on the person's symptoms and functional impairment.” What you would look for Re-experiencing • intrusive images or memories; • nightmares;

34 | P a g e • feeling as though events are happening again; • strong physical reactions to reminders. Persistent threat response • hypervigilance; • constantly monitoring for danger; • being easily startled; • difficulty relaxing; • sleep disturbance; • irritability or anger. Avoidance • avoiding places, people or conversations associated with the events; • trying not to think about what was witnessed; • withdrawing socially. Complex-trauma effects • persistent distrust; • feeling that nowhere is safe; • emotional dysregulation; • shame or guilt; • dissociation; • relationship difficulties; • feeling detached or worthless; • persistent anger or hopelessness. (NHS Inform) One particularly important distinction If the audience personally witnessed the torture/harassment, I would use “repeated witnessed trauma” rather than automatically calling it merely "secondary trauma." “Secondary traumatic stress” is often used for trauma reactions resulting from exposure to another person's trauma, whereas witnessing the traumatic events oneself can constitute direct exposure to the traumatic event. NHS Inform explicitly recognises witnessing traumatic events as a potential cause of PTSD. (NHS Inform) So, depending on exactly what they witnessed, a strong classification would be: Primary target: direct/prolonged interpersonal trauma Witnesses: repeated traumatic exposure → possible secondary traumatic stress / PTSD / CPTSD Audience manipulated by the perpetrators: psychological/social manipulation, potentially

35 | P a g e compounded by trauma exposure People who subsequently participate knowingly: potentially both psychologically affected and active participants And severity should ultimately be assessed clinically, based on symptoms, duration, functional impairment and the person's circumstances—not simply by the fact that two years elapsed. NHS Inform recommends professional assessment where trauma symptoms persist or significantly interfere with everyday life. (NHS Inform)

36 | P a g e Category What it means in this situation Typical psychological impact Indicative severity Primary target – direct trauma Person directly subjected to prolonged torture, harassment, intimidation or coercive behaviour. Fear, loss of safety, hypervigilance, helplessness, intrusive memories, avoidance, emotional dysregulation. 🔴 Very high Witnessed traumatic exposure Person repeatedly witnesses or hears severe violence, torture or harassment against another person over approximately two years. Intrusive memories, nightmares, anxiety, hypervigilance, distress, sleep problems, fear for the victim and themselves. 🔴 High– Very high Secondary traumatic stress Trauma-related symptoms arising from sustained exposure to another person's traumatic experiences. Anxiety, intrusive thoughts, emotional exhaustion, avoidance, heightened threat perception and sleep disturbance. 🟠 Moderate– High, potentially 🔴 Vicarious trauma Longer-term changes in worldview caused by prolonged exposure to another person's suffering. Loss of trust, altered sense of safety, cynicism, helplessness, relationship difficulties and changes in beliefs about people. 🟠 Moderate– High, potentially 🔴 PTSD-type response Persistent trauma symptoms following repeated exposure to traumatic events. Re-experiencing, avoidance, hyperarousal and persistent sense of danger. 🔴 Potentially severe Complex trauma / possible CPTSD Prolonged or repeated trauma exposure producing PTSD-type symptoms plus broader psychological effects. Emotional regulation difficulties, persistent shame/guilt, distrust, negative self-concept, relationship difficulties and chronic threat perception. 🔴 Potentially very high Trauma-related hypervigilance Witnesses remain constantly alert because they expect the abuse to happen again. Monitoring, checking, inability to relax, exaggerated startle response, sleep disruption. 🟠–🔴 Moral injury / betrayal-related distress Person witnesses serious wrongdoing and feels unable to stop it, particularly if others deny Guilt, anger, shame, helplessness, loss of trust and persistent rumination. 🟠–🔴

37 | P a g e or enable what is happening. Secondary social trauma Witnesses are also drawn into the perpetrators' narrative, group pressure or manipulation surrounding the abuse. Confusion, divided loyalties, fear of speaking out, guilt and social isolation. 🟠 Moderate– High Trauma compounded by prolonged exposure The person experiences repeated exposure over two years rather than one isolated event. Cumulative stress, exhaustion, increasingly persistent threat response and difficulty returning to a sense of normal safety. 🔴 High– Very high Important distinction: someone who personally witnesses torture or severe harassment can have a trauma response from that direct exposure; it is not necessarily accurate to classify their experience only as “secondary trauma.” Whether it meets criteria for PTSD or CPTSD requires assessment of the person's actual symptoms and functional impact. NHS Inform recognises witnessing violence/abuse as a potential traumatic exposure and prolonged/repeated trauma as relevant to PTSD/CPTSD.