But when anger only gets acted out, discharged, it ceases to be effective. She states that, collectively, as a society, we are stuck in our rage at them—as though the rawness of it is enough. Mustard notes that our stagnation in rage prevents us, as a society, from addressing the problem in a meaningful way to effect real change. Vigilante justice groups that find predators and suspected predators often do more harm to the victims because their tactics jeopardize legal cases. Abhorrence, vitriol, and rage, however, are points on a continuum meant to stretch toward recovery and reparation.

Source: New York Times January 29, 2026 13:34 UTC