holistic health

Betrayal Trauma, Perpetrator Psychology, and Witness-Survivor Resilience: A Case Study of Father Norbert J. Maday in the Chicago Archdiocese | Melanie Boling, Boling Expeditionary Research

Betrayal Trauma, Perpetrator Psychology, and Witness-Survivor Resilience: A Case Study of Father Norbert J. Maday in the Chicago Archdiocese | Melanie Boling, Boling Expeditionary Research

Clergy-perpetrated sexual abuse (CPSA) is uniquely harmful because it fuses interpersonal violation with the betrayal of sacred authority and institutional trust. This paper examines the case of Father Norbert J. Maday, a Chicago Archdiocese priest convicted of sexually abusing minors, as a lens to explore perpetrator psychology, betrayal trauma theory, and the neuropsychological and psychological sequelae of abuse. The analysis emphasizes the underexamined population of “witness-survivors”: children who resisted inappropriate advances, observed abusive behaviors, or voiced concerns, but were dismissed or punished by family and parish staff. Maday’s behavioral profile demonstrates grooming, cognitive distortions, narcissistic entitlement, antisocial tendencies, and moral disengagement, all reinforced by institutional silence. Survivors—including witnesses—show classic betrayal trauma responses, including HPA axis dysregulation, amygdala hyperactivation, hippocampal alterations, and prefrontal suppression.

The Neuropsychology of Boundary Violation | Melanie Boling, Boling Expeditionary Research

The Neuropsychology of Boundary Violation: Personality Pathology, Cognitive Deficits, and the Dangers to Victims

Abstract

The ability to recognize and respect interpersonal boundaries is a cornerstone of healthy human interaction. Individuals who fail to respond to refusal cues such as no or stop represent a profound risk to others’ psychological safety and physical autonomy. This paper examines the psychological and neuroscientific underpinnings of this phenomenon, classifying such individuals across personality pathology, impulse-control deficits, learned boundary violation, and predatory psychopathy. The paper emphasizes the dangers posed to victims, highlighting trauma pathways, neurobiological consequences, and the long-term psychological toll.

Introduction

Boundaries serve as protective mechanisms for selfhood, signaling the limits of acceptable interaction (Zur, 2007). When another person disregards these signals, the interaction shifts from consensual to coercive, threatening the autonomy and safety of the victim. Failure to recognize or respect no or stop is not simply a social faux pas but an indicator of serious psychopathology, cognitive dysfunction, or predatory intent. For victims, such behavior induces high-risk trauma responses and long-lasting neurobiological dysregulation.

1. Personality Disorder Spectrum

Narcissistic Personality Disorder (NPD)

Individuals with NPD display grandiosity, entitlement, and lack of empathy (American Psychiatric Association [APA], 2013). Neuroscientific studies show altered fronto-limbic connectivity, suggesting impaired emotional empathy and heightened self-referential processing (Mier et al., 2013). When confronted with refusal, narcissistic individuals may interpret no as narcissistic injury, escalating aggression to reassert control (Krizan & Johar, 2015).

Antisocial Personality Disorder (ASPD)

ASPD is characterized by disregard for the rights of others and pervasive violation of social norms (APA, 2013). Functional MRI studies demonstrate reduced amygdala reactivity and impaired ventromedial prefrontal cortex function, consistent with deficient fear conditioning and moral reasoning (Glenn & Raine, 2014). For these individuals, no lacks salience as a moral boundary and is treated instead as an obstacle to be removed.

Borderline and Histrionic Traits

While often less predatory, individuals with borderline or histrionic features may override boundaries during affective dysregulation or dramatic displays (Linehan, 1993). Hypersexuality and emotional manipulation are used to prevent abandonment or secure attention, but the effect on victims can still be coercive and destabilizing.

2. Impulse-Control and Cognitive Deficits

Impulse Dysregulation

Deficits in prefrontal cortex functioning contribute to poor inhibitory control and difficulty respecting social rules (Aron, Robbins, & Poldrack, 2014). While not inherently malicious, these deficits increase the likelihood of boundary-crossing behavior, particularly under stress or intoxication.

Social Cognition Deficits

Certain conditions, such as Autism Spectrum Disorder, may impair recognition of subtle social cues. However, unlike Cluster B pathology, individuals with ASD typically cease behavior once explicit refusal is understood (American Psychiatric Association, 2013). The distinction lies in willingness to learn and respect boundaries, versus intentional disregard.

3. Learned and Conditioned Boundary Violators

In environments characterized by authoritarianism, militarism, or systemic abuse, individuals may internalize the normalization of boundary violation (Bandura, 1999). Here, no is interpreted as negotiable or weak. Repeated reinforcement of dominance through aggression conditions behavior that perpetuates cycles of abuse.

4. Predatory Psychopathy

Perhaps the most dangerous group, psychopathic individuals understand boundaries cognitively but disregard them strategically (Hare, 2003). Functional imaging reveals hypoactivity in paralimbic structures, including the amygdala and orbitofrontal cortex, resulting in blunted affect and heightened instrumental aggression (Kiehl, 2006). For these individuals, ignoring no is a tool for manipulation, exploitation, or sadistic gratification.

5. Impact on Victims

Neurobiological Trauma Pathways

Victims exposed to repeated boundary violations experience hyperactivation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis, leading to chronic cortisol dysregulation and hippocampal atrophy (McEwen, 2007). Such neurobiological changes are implicated in PTSD, complex trauma, and impaired emotional regulation (Yehuda et al., 2015).

Psychological Consequences

Victims often develop learned helplessness (Seligman, 1975), dissociation, and distorted self-concept. Repeated violations erode the victim’s ability to trust their perceptions, especially when accompanied by gaslighting or coercive control (Stark, 2007).

Long-Term Risk

Exposure to predatory individuals significantly increases risks of depression, substance misuse, suicidal ideation, and revictimization (Courtois & Ford, 2013). For victims, the danger is not confined to the boundary violation itself but extends into lasting disruptions of neural, psychological, and social functioning.

Conclusion

The inability—or refusal—to understand no or stop is rarely benign. Whether arising from Cluster B psychopathology, impulse-control deficits, conditioned dominance, or psychopathy, such behavior places victims at extraordinary risk of trauma and long-term harm. Psychologically and neurologically, boundary violations are assaults on autonomy that restructure the brain’s stress and memory systems, leaving victims vulnerable long after the event. From a public health perspective, these individuals represent a critical danger, and protecting victims requires both recognition of perpetrator profiles and systemic interventions to prevent abuse.

References

  • American Psychiatric Association. (2013). Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (5th ed.). Washington, DC: Author.

  • Aron, A. R., Robbins, T. W., & Poldrack, R. A. (2014). Inhibition and the right inferior frontal cortex. Trends in Cognitive Sciences, 18(4), 177–185.

  • Bandura, A. (1999). Moral disengagement in the perpetration of inhumanities. Personality and Social Psychology Review, 3(3), 193–209.

  • Courtois, C. A., & Ford, J. D. (2013). Treating complex trauma: A sequenced, relationship-based approach. Guilford Press.

  • Glenn, A. L., & Raine, A. (2014). Neurocriminology: Implications for the punishment, prediction, and prevention of criminal behaviour. Nature Reviews Neuroscience, 15(1), 54–63.

  • Hare, R. D. (2003). Without conscience: The disturbing world of the psychopaths among us. Guilford Press.

  • Kiehl, K. A. (2006). A cognitive neuroscience perspective on psychopathy: Evidence for paralimbic system dysfunction. Psychiatry Research: Neuroimaging, 142(2–3), 107–128.

  • Krizan, Z., & Johar, O. (2015). Narcissistic rage revisited. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 108(5), 784–801.

  • Linehan, M. (1993). Cognitive-behavioral treatment of borderline personality disorder. Guilford Press.

  • McEwen, B. S. (2007). Physiology and neurobiology of stress and adaptation: Central role of the brain. Physiological Reviews, 87(3), 873–904.

  • Mier, D., et al. (2013). Altered neural correlates of empathy in narcissistic personality disorder. Psychiatry Research: Neuroimaging, 213(2), 115–121.

  • Seligman, M. E. P. (1975). Helplessness: On depression, development, and death. Freeman.

  • Stark, E. (2007). Coercive control: How men entrap women in personal life. Oxford University Press.

  • Yehuda, R., et al. (2015). Post-traumatic stress disorder. Nature Reviews Disease Primers, 1, 15057.

  • Zur, O. (2007). Boundaries in psychotherapy: Ethical and clinical explorations. American Psychological Association.

The Effects of Borderline Personality Disorder in Extreme Environments | Melanie Boling, Boling Expeditionary Research

The Effects of Borderline Personality Disorder in Extreme Environments | Melanie Boling, Boling Expeditionary Research

Comorbid histrionic personality disorder (HPD) traits can exacerbate these issues. HPD is defined by excessive attention-seeking, dramatic emotional expression, and sexually provocative behavior . Individuals with histrionic traits crave being at the center of attention and may feel unappreciated or anxious when they are not. They often exhibit flirtatious or inappropriately sexual behavior and rapidly shifting, shallow emotions that may appear insincere . When BPD and HPD co-occur, the person not only experiences intense unstable emotions (BPD) but also has a strong drive to attract attention and approval (HPD). This combination can manifest in manipulative or seductive interpersonal styles, rooted in deep fears of abandonment and a need for validation.

The Effects of Malignant Narcissism in Extreme Environments on Brain and Behavior | Melanie Boling, Boling Expeditionary Research

The Effects of Malignant Narcissism in Extreme Environments on Brain and Behavior | Melanie Boling, Boling Expeditionary Research

Malignant narcissism (MN) describes a syndromal configuration at the severe end of pathological narcissism that combines narcissistic personality pathology with antisocial features, ego‑syntonic aggression/sadism, and paranoid tendencies. In isolated, confined, and extreme (ICE) settings—e.g., combat units, polar stations, undersea habitats, and spacecraft—MN traits pose outsized risks to team safety, mission performance, and ethical decision‑making.

Cognitive Covert Narcissism with Antisocial Tendencies in Extreme Leadership | Melanie Boling, Boling Expeditionary Research

Cognitive Covert Narcissism with Antisocial Tendencies in Extreme Leadership | Melanie Boling, Boling Expeditionary Research

Individuals with covert (vulnerable) narcissistic traits who also exhibit antisocial tendencies represent a dangerous personality constellation, especially when they occupy positions of power or leadership in extreme environments. Covert narcissism is characterized by hidden grandiosity and entitlement behind a façade of insecurity or defensiveness , while antisocial traits (as seen in sociopathy/psychopathy) include callousness, impulsivity, lack of remorse, and a penchant for manipulation . In leadership roles – from military commanders in combat zones to executives in high-stakes crises – such individuals may outwardly appear competent or even self-sacrificing, yet their psychopathology can undermine group cohesion, ethical decision-making, and mission success.