Expert: Jerry Sandusky’s Personality Disorder Defense Won’t Work
Originally posted: 06/22/2012 2:54 pm Updated: 06/27/2012 3:48 pm in The Huffington Post
The jury in the child molestation trial of former assistant Penn State football coach Jerry
Sandusky has days of testimony to consider, but one thing members likely won’t spend much
time deliberating is the defense’s contention that he suffers from a personality disorder,
according a nationally known expert.
“These kinds of [alleged] acts cannot be written off or defended by a mere personality
disorder,” Tara Fields, Ph.D., M.F.T., told The Huffington Post. Fields, a licensed marriage and
family therapist who has appeared as an expert on “Good Morning America,” “Dr. Phil,” and
A&E’s “Hoarders,” has not treated Sandusky, but is familiar with the allegations against him.
. . . .
According to the A.D.A.M. Medical Encyclopedia, histrionic personality disorder is a “condition
in which people act in a very emotional and dramatic way that draws attention to themselves.”
Symptoms include acting or looking overly seductive, being easily influenced by others, being
overly dramatic and needing to be the center of attention.
The defense’s purpose in presenting the diagnosis was not to provide an excuse for Sandusky’s
alleged actions, but to show that certain actions by Sandusky — letters to accusers, gifts, etc. —
were not intended to “groom” victims, but to satisfy the needs of his psyche.
Fields said she does not buy the diagnosis and does not expect the jury to either.
“What is so interesting is narcissism and histrionic personality disorder are very, very similar,
and if someone could use histrionic personality disorder or narcissist personality disorder as a
defense, it would shut down all reality shows as we know it,” Fields said. “Because if they put
out a casting call they’re basically going to list all the qualities of someone who is histrionic,
dramatic, needs to be the center of attention [and] acts out sexually. . . .
According to Fields, the disorder cannot explain away Sandusky’s alleged actions and should not
be considered an excuse in regards to child molestation.
“It’s absurd to use that as a justification for someone allegedly raping and destroying a child’s life
and all those that are connected to them — to have raped them physically, psychologically and
to create a life path where the consequences of having been a victim of sexual abuse can go on a
lifetime,” Fields said.
