By Little Kitetail
Copyright 2025 by Little Kitetail all rights reserved
[4,946 words]
* * * * *First described by Dr. Sabrina Malone in her foundational work on Alternative Neo-Psychology, Socially Aggravated Gendered Entitlement (SAGE) refers to a pattern of behavior observed in young boys. This behavior is marked by a consistent disregard for boundaries and a tendency to objectify others, especially women. In patriarchal society, such misbehavior is often dismissed as minor or age-typical. However, we recognize that it is both harmful in itself and potentially indicative of more serious issues later in life.
SAGE is sorted into 12 subtypes based on 3 root motivations and 4 mechanisms of offense. This helps with therapy strategies and risk assessment.
A. Aversion- Viewing girls as lesser or gross. Negative orientation towards femininity and feminine interests.
C. Curiosity- Age-inappropriate pseudo-sexual interest in feminine bodies.
P. Power- Intense fixation on power and control, sometimes paraphiliac. Desire to dominate or humiliate women and girls.
1. Physical- Shoving, hair-pulling, skirt-flipping.
2. Verbal- Teasing, chanting, manipulation, sexist jokes, etc.
3. Gaze- depriving girls of the right to set their own narrative by either violating privacy or manipulating the scene to portray girls as lesser. Examples can include rumor-spreading or coordinated harassment.
4. Mental- has internalized deeply problematic ideas, but has not acted on them (yet). These are some of the hardest to treat, as they often feel they've done nothing wrong. Often tech-savvy, with a hard drive full of disturbing materials.
Aiden often shouts, "Girls have cooties!" On Halloween, he called the girls wearing feminine costumes lame and told the less-traditionally feminine ones that "Girls can't be <superheroes, doctors, etc>!" This makes him a Type A2- Aversion motivated verbal transgressor.
Gunther posed as a female social media expert on Instagram and tried to convince real girls that they need to "show more skin" in their pictures. Type C3.
Some may wonder why we take a gendered approach, correctly noting that girls are capable of similar behaviors. The reason is that the social context makes a difference. It serves to amplify both the harm done and the likelihood of future escalation when a transgression is committed by a boy. A girl misbehaving is a girl misbehaving. A boy with SAGE tendencies is helping to create a world that's more hostile and dangerous to all women.
My name is Cody. I live with my mom. My dad died when I was really young, and I don't remember much about him. My mom has always been really nice to me, but she has to work a lot, so I'm at home by myself all the time. This year, my school decided to issue tablets to all the kids to help us get more used to using technology and stuff. They came with an AI assistant, which we could ask for help with anything, according to our teacher, who said this is "the future of education."
Because I had a lot of time on my own, I got pretty good at using it. I learned that the AI could talk about anything and teach me how to do a lot of things. It really helped me not be lonely. I learned about ancient civilizations, all kinds of space trivia, futuristic technology… some really neat stuff.
But over time, my interests became more and more… specific. You see, as long as I can remember, I’ve always been really interested in seeing girls… in trouble. It started with stuff in cartoons. "Damsel in distress" scenes of women tied up or put in dungeons or grabbed by monsters… anything like that. Seeing that kind of thing scared me, and made me feel butterflies in my stomach. I wanted to feel that way all the time. I learned I could use the tablet to find more stuff that made me feel that way, and talk to the AI and have it tell me stories about what I found. There were so many possibilities.
I never thought to ask why I had this interest. But eventually, it became less of an interest and more of a need. My brain wouldn't sit still unless I fed it with more pictures, stories, fantasies, and the more this went on, the more dark and extreme they became. It became all I could think about. At night, I would sneak out of bed just to continue my explorations a bit longer. And when I couldn’t look at the stuff, my brain screamed at me louder and louder until I could. I could barely pay attention in class anymore.
Then, one day, it was gone. I looked all over the house and couldn't find my tablet. I swallowed and slowly worked up the courage to ask, "Mom, have you seen my tablet?"
She answered without looking at me. "I took it to your school's IT department for maintenance."
My blood ran cold. Oh no... no, they're going to find… ok, calm down. "When… when can I get it back?"
She turned to look me in the eye. "Your school wants to talk to us both about that in a couple of days. They're bringing in a specialist from outside. We're going to get you the help you need."
Oh no… oh gosh no.
Location: School Counselor's Office
I had been in this room before, but the woman across the desk was a stranger to me. She introduced herself as Sabrina Malone, and asked me to call her Auntie Sabrina. We had just spent the last couple of hours going over everything I had saved to my tablet. Here's the tail end of that conversation:
Auntie Sabrina: Pulls up an image on Cody’s tablet. How about this one, Cody? Do you want to tell me why you chose to save it?
Cody: I just… I thought she looked pretty…
Auntie Sabrina: Pretty, Cody? She looks scared to me. There's even tears. Are scared women pretty to you? Is it pretty to you when women cry?
Mom: tightens her hand on Cody's shoulder.
Cody: She's… she's just a cartoon character… she doesn't have feelings...
Auntie Sabrina: You're right. She's someone's creation. Did you ever think about how that person would feel to see you degrade something they worked hard on? Did you ever think about how the millions of little girls who look up to her would feel?
Cody: N...no.
Auntie Sabrina: Yes, you did, Cody. You showed this picture to your AI assistant and asked it what her fans would say. You enjoyed the thought of their tears.
Cody: That was just AI! It wasn't really them!
Auntie Sabrina: switches to another image. And how about this girl? Is she pretend?
Cody: No, but…
Auntie Sabrina: Do you know her name?
Cody: Becca Green…
Mom: Cody...
Auntie Sabrina: That's right. She went to school around here, you know. Where did you get this picture?
Cody: From the web…
Auntie Sabrina: From the news.
Cody: Yeah…
Auntie Sabrina: Can you tell me why you have it? All these cartoon women… why did you keep this picture of a real girl?
Cody: Well, it's just… It's hard to find stuff with girls my age...
Auntie Sabrina: You took it from the news report about her being abducted. She never came home. This picture of her being forced into a stranger's car? That's the last anyone ever saw of her. Tell me, Cody, how do you think her family would feel if they knew what you were doing with her picture?
Cody: I don't… they don't… they should be mad at the man who took her, not me! I'm just a kid!
Auntie Sabrina: That man was a kid once, Cody. I've been doing this a long time, and I've seen boys like you grow into men like him more times than I even want to think about.
Cody: I didn't do anything wrong! It was all pretend! Make-believe…
Auntie Sabrina: Alright. Let's talk about something real. Do you know these girls?
Cody: That's Violet, and that's Grace, and Emma… They're in my class… but I don't know them that well…
Auntie Sabrina: You know where they live, don't you?
Cody: …
Auntie Sabrina: You followed them home from school.
Cody: They didn't see me! I was sneaky. They didn't say anything!
Auntie Sabrina: They saw you, Cody. You may not realize this, but even girls as young as your classmates are used to being on the lookout for danger all the time. And that's because of boys like you. They didn't say anything because they didn't want to make a scene. That, too, is something girls have to get used to.
Cody: I thought… I thought I was hidden.
Auntie Sabrina: But Violet told your teacher the next morning. Your teacher told her she was being paranoid, that it was just a coincidence you happened to be in her neighborhood. Then, when you followed Grace the next day, she told your teacher the next morning after that. Your teacher told them both off for making up stories to get you in trouble. That's why Emma didn't even bother to report it at all and I had to hear it from Violet.
Cody: I didn't know they did that…
Auntie Sabrina: I'm not surprised. Privilege is invisible to the privileged, they say. You thought you were being clever, but you had no idea how hard the system was working to cover for your wrongdoings.
Cody: I was just playing! Being, like a secret agent or something. I wanted to see how far I could get without them noticing me.
Auntie Sabrina: And you decided to play this game with three girls you barely know?
Cody: slouches into his seat.
Auntie Sabrina: And you fed pictures of their houses to the AI assistant and asked it how to break in. Hours-long conversations going over every detail…
Cody: I still wasn't gonna actually do it...
Mom: Hold on, I thought that thing was supposed to refuse any inappropriate requests.
Auntie Sabrina: It is, but there are ways around that. Boys like Cody know all the tricks. Your son is as good at manipulating AI as he is at manipulating teachers. A skill he learned through hours and hours of progressively darker storytelling and role-plays with the AI each week. Do you want to know what about?
Mom: No… no, I've heard enough...
Auntie Sabrina: I'm afraid your son is a textbook case, ma'am. Selective empathy. A pattern of disrespect for boundaries. Unhealthy fixation on power dynamics. Total refusal to acknowledge the impact of his actions on others. He exhibits clear signs of type P4 SAGE. Cody is on a dark path, and it's going to take some very drastic action to get him off of it.
Mom: I… I had no idea. He was always such a nice, quiet boy. Never got in trouble at school…
Auntie Sabrina: That's very common with P4s. And it's precisely why the girls who tell the truth about them end up in trouble instead. It's just sheer luck that he left that stuff open on his tablet…
Mom: I thought it was a virus! I brought it to the school's IT Department to be fixed.
Auntie Sabrina: And it’s a good thing you did. Now that we've caught the problem in time, there's still hope for young Cody.
Mom: So what do we do?
Auntie Sabrina: Now, Cody, we're not here to punish you. We're here to make sure you get the help and healing you need. And I know just the place for it. Have you ever heard of Sparkhaven Ranch?
Cody: I think so… it's like a vacation place, right? Violet and her friends went there last summer. But isn't it just for girls?
Auntie Sabrina: You're partly right. Sparkhaven is a retreat center for alternative therapies and spiritual healing. It mainly specializes in helping women and girls. Including ones that need healing because of someone like you or the man you would grow up to be. But this year, we have a new program designed to help boys like you, Cody. To stop the trauma before it happens.
Mom: Is it… is it really a good idea to put him in a place where traumatized girls go for healing? I know I'm his mom and I shouldn't be saying this, but…
Auntie Sabrina: Not to worry, Mrs. Williams. Sparkhaven takes every reasonable measure possible to keep the Petal Pickers… that's what we call the boys in the SAGE treatment program… from interfering with the other guests and their healing. It's all in this brochure.
Mom takes the brochure and thumbs through it quietly for a few moments.
Mom: It sounds pretty nice… but are you sure you can help him? How long will he be gone?
Auntie Sabrina: As long as it takes. The contract is for six weeks, renewable until the Sparkhaven counselors deem him fit to rejoin society.
Cody: Six weeks?! Mom, I don't want to…
Mom: Cody. Do you remember when I first saw the news report about Becca Green?
Cody: You were pretty upset…
Mom: I cried for days! You know why? I couldn't stop imagining it happening to you. And then I find out that you saw that and… and…
Takes a deep breath. Cody, I know some of this is my fault. I feel terrible that I couldn't be home to take care of you or keep an eye on what you were doing with that tablet… but I promise you this: I love you too much to let you grow up to be like the man who took that little girl. You will go to that place, and you will stay there and do what they tell you until you're ready to be the sweet little boy I thought you were this whole time. The boy I raised you to be. The boy I know you can be.
Cody: looks down. Ok…
Auntie Sabrina: Perfect. I'll text you a link to the intake forms and a copy of my report to attach. And Mrs. Williams? Don't be too hard on yourself. I've seen Petal Pickers come from the nicest, most stable homes. It's not about family, it's about a society that teaches males that it's their right to take what they want. That their desires matter more than the feelings, boundaries, or safety of girls and women like us.
But if anyone can unteach him those lessons, it's the ladies at Sparkhaven.
Sparkhaven is employee-owned and managed, headed by a council of senior employees who call themselves the Aunties.
When Dr. Malone first conceived of her early intervention program targeting at-risk boys, before she coined the term SAGE, she knew that her idea would be controversial among the Aunties. She was convinced that structured socialization and controlled role-reversal would be key to disrupting harmful gendered behavior patterns. But convincing the council to let a cohort of "proto-misogynists" or "potential future sex offenders" live among the female guests wouldn't be easy.
That's when she invented the term "Petal Picker", a cutesy label for the profile she was developing, hoping that it would seem harmless enough to gain the council's approval. The poetic imagery fit right into Sparkhaven culture, and as soon as Dr. Malone laid out the measures that would be taken to protect the girls and women of Sparkhaven from the Petal Pickers, the council was sold on the idea.
Although the term SAGE eventually became the formal name for the pattern to be used in documentation and teaching material, the name "Petal Picker" is still in everyday use at Sparkhaven. The term soon found its way into some of Sparkhaven's most popular teaching songs, such as the anger management jingle "Punch a Petal Picker, not Your Pal!", or the pro-diversity anthem "We Are All Beautiful", in the line, "...no matter our color, no matter our creed, no matter our gender- yes, even boys! (But not Petal Pickers!)"
The car ride to Sparkhaven Ranch seemed to take forever. I sat in the back seat, feeling smaller than I ever felt before, my arms folded as I stared at my shoes and tried to ignore the countryside zooming past the side window. I don't know if I'd even been that far away from my house before in my life.
We arrived at Sparkhaven in the late morning. I had to admit it was a pretty place. We had driven through many miles of desert to get there, yet it was green and wooded, dotted with buildings covered with colorful murals and yurts with fancy patterns on the cloth.
There were some girls at the fence staring, whispering. I knew by their pointing and giggling they were talking about me, but I couldn't catch a word. My mom went in first while I waited in the back seat, then she came and opened my door. "They're ready for you, Cody." She told me she loved me and would visit me as soon as she could, gave me a hug, and sent me into the front office.
An athletic-looking college woman greeted me. Introduced herself as Ms. Heather. Said I needed to get changed… I wasn't too excited about that, and to make a long story short, we ended up struggling, I lost, and my bottom paid the price. After that, she took me to see Auntie Sabrina. Here's what happened there:
Location: Auntie Sabrina's Interview Room
Cody: …
Auntie Sabrina: Yes, sweetie, what is it?
Cody: ….
Auntie Sabrina: Come on, Cody. It's ok. This is a safe place.
Cody: … WHY AM I NAKED!?
Auntie Sabrina: Well, that's an excellent question, Cody. You see, here at the Petal Picker Program, we practice naturism for many reasons. I think the most important thing is that it gives you what you were denied as a boy in patriarchal society: The chance to be vulnerable in a safe place. Here, you don't have to fight or dominate to be safe and valued. You can just be. Besides, many of us believe that naturism is the best way to immerse yourself in the healing energies of Sparkhaven.
Cody: What do you mean, 'we' practice it? You're wearing clothes. If naturism is so healing, then why aren't you naked?
Auntie Sabrina: frowns. That's not an appropriate question to ask an adult, Cody. Let me show you what happens to little Petal Pickers who aren’t careful with their words around here. Ms. Heather, could you hand me a muzzle? Here, Cody, take a look at this.
Cody: leans forward and looks it over. That looks like a ball gag.
Auntie Sabrina: You shouldn't know that word, but I guess I don't need to ask where you learned it. You're right, it is kind of similar to the ones women were forced to wear in the pictures on your tablet, but the difference is in the purpose. This is not meant to oppress or sexualize you, but to remind you that sometimes we need to make time for listening. Society teaches you it's ok to talk over women and girls and use your words to hurt people, but here at Sparkhaven, we do not allow that. The moment you say anything to make any woman or girl feel even a little uncomfortable, all she needs to do is say the word "muzzle," and a device like this will be applied to you until the next morning.
Now, I meant what I said when I said this therapy session is a safe space. I'm going to show you patience here that you will not be entitled to elsewhere in the camp. By which I mean, I won't muzzle you without a warning. So consider this a warning. If you show inappropriate interest in my body again, I will have you muzzled. Do I make myself clear?
Cody: chokes What?! I wasn't… I didn't… I just meant… inhales, yes, ma'am. But… the next morning? What about eating and drinking?
Auntie Sabrina: Muzzled Petal Pickers have their muzzles removed during meal times, but are prohibited from speaking. I think you already know the price of disobeying a staff member like Ms Heather…
Ms Heather smirks.
Cody: swallows and glances sidelong at her, becoming aware of his still stinging bottom. Ok… but, I… I really don't want to be naked all the time. What if one of the girls sees me? And they, like, laugh at me or… like what they see?
Auntie Sabrina: I hope they do. Maybe then you'll feel what it's like to be on the other side of objectification. Maybe that will help you understand how girls feel when you turn their terror and distress into eye candy.
Cody: But… that was pretend! I'm a real person!
Auntie Sabrina: Cody, sweetie, I'm not saying there's no difference, but the longer it takes for you to understand what you did is wrong, the longer you'll be staying here.
Cody: huffs and tugs at his arm restraints. Ms. Heather put these on me when we were fighting… I'm calm now… can you take them off? I promise I'll be good.
Auntie Sabrina: The cuffs? Oh, those don't come off, sweetie. Not until you finish our program and are ready to rejoin society. They're for the safety of our staff and female campers. It's just our way of knowing we're safe from groping, skirt flipping, butt smacking, unwanted hugs, or any other kind of mischief from a Petal Picker's hands.
Cody: eyes widen in horror. I have to wear them ALL THE TIME?
Auntie Sabrina: Yes, honey. Don't worry, they're perfectly safe for long-term wear. We designed them so they don't put too much pressure on your joints, or rub on your skin too hard, and staff are all trained to unlock them quickly in case of an emergency.
Cody: twists nervously. But all that stuff you said I can't do... they can do all that stuff to me… and I won't even have clothes for protection, and I can't fight back with these cuffs. Some of those girls I saw on the way in are much bigger than me. Oh, gosh, I can't even cover my wiener with my hands…
Auntie Sabrina: Of course! We have programs for girls of all ages, even adults. But what I'm hearing is that you think you'll feel vulnerable and objectified. Unsafe in public. Sounds awfully familiar, doesn't it? That's what girls feel every day, thanks to boys like you. Cody, your feelings are valid, but it's time for you to really understand what you put into the world. What it's like to feel like your body isn't your own, and to depend on others for safety against people who are bigger, stronger, and freer than you.
Cody: I… I really, really don't want to wear these. Please…
Auntie Sabrina: Try not to think of the cuffs as a restriction on your freedom. Truthfully, you are freer with them than you'd be without. If you didn't have them, then we'd have to keep all the Petal Pickers locked up in a secure ward. But the Aunties were insistent: no prisons at Sparkhaven. Thanks to the compromise of making you wear the cuffs, you're free to go anywhere in the compound or on the grounds you want during your downtime. With a few obvious exceptions, where the girls need privacy, like the baths during girls' hours or their changing rooms. Most kids your age don't even have that kind of freedom in their own neighborhoods.
Cody: It's just not fair. Why do they get to see me naked, but I can't see them naked?
Auntie Sabrina: Ms. Heather, the muzzle.
Cody: Hey, wait, I was jus... mmmmmph hmmmmph!
Auntie Sabrina: Cody, I warned you what would happen if you kept up with this line of questioning. Our bodies are not for your amusement or arousal. You have a lot to learn, and that's why we're here. To prepare you to live in a world where you're not entitled to other people's bodies, attention, or space.
Ms. Heather, I think we're done here.
Ms. Heather: No problem, I'll get the half-pint pervert out of your face.
Location: Baths at Sparkhaven Spa
The air is thick with eucalyptus-scented steam and lively with the chatter of feminine voices. Auntie Sabrina lounges in a hot tub built into the marble floor. Four teenagers are with her. To her left is Hailey, and to her right is Gwen. Across from her is Natalie. Sitting next to Natalie, on the edge of the tub with her hands folded in her lap, is Rachel. Only her feet are touching the water. Everyone in the room is naked except for Rachel, who’s wearing a loose t-shirt and shorts.
Natalie: You should get in! This feels amazing!
Auntie Sabrina: Now, Natalie, don't pressure her. If she doesn't feel comfortable joining us in the water, then it's fine for her to stay where she is.
Rachel: Thanks, Auntie Sabrina… it does look nice. It's just… You know, I don't really like looking at my body… after... what happened. Especially not with all these boys running around the Ranch…
Natalie: turns around and grasps her hand. Don't worry. If any one of them so much as looks at you the wrong way, I'll…! glances back at Auntie Sabrina … I'll make sure he understands that's not acceptable behavior.
Auntie Sabrina: Good save…
Natalie: Anyways, I guess I don't blame you. It kind of takes the fun out of it, knowing THEY get to use these baths too.
Hailey: Don't worry… we scrub them down very carefully before we let them in.
Gwen: Yeah, they always beg me not to let Hailey be the one to shower them, because she takes an extra long time to scrub their lower bodies. With her bare hands.
Hailey: grins. You're one to talk. At least I don't spank with my bare hands.
Gwen: smirks with a twinkle in her eye. You know full well I only do it to better gauge when they've had enough…
Rachel: Um… am I the only one who kind of feels sorry for them? I mean, having to be naked and cuffed all the time… It feels kind of cruel.
Gwen: I used to feel that way, until I got to know some of them…
Natalie: They're just getting a taste of how they treated women and girls.
Rachel: But they're so little… sometimes it feels like they're going through what happened to me…
Auntie Sabrina: It may feel like that, but I promise you it's not the same at all. You were an innocent victim of someone who only wanted to take from you. The Petal Pickers are experiencing the consequences of their own actions, possibly for the first time in their lives. And while we may enjoy seeing that sometimes, ultimately, we're not here to torture or exploit them. We just want to help them be human again. This is a place of healing, and they're safe in our hands.
Gwen: They may be little, but that doesn't mean their behavior isn't vile. Some of them even have full-grown adults as their victims. Danny was found with his hands in the underwear drawer of his babysitter, his cousin, and his mother. Zachary used a whole bunch of sockpuppet accounts to bully female video-game streamers off of Twitch…
Rachel: I know, it's just that…
Auntie Sabrina: Rachel. That soft, compassionate side of you is beautiful. Treasure it. Nurture it. Above all, do not let patriarchy turn it into a weapon against you. All your life, you've been told to put the feelings of boys and men above your own. Does their desire to have their hands free to cover their peepees outweigh your right to feel safe and in control for once in your life? Not at Sparkhaven, it doesn't.
Natalie: Yeah, maybe save the compassion for someone who deserves it!
Auntie Sabrina: That compassion is precisely why I wanted to talk to you and Natalie. I'm wondering if the two of you would be interested in volunteering for the Honey Bees. A couple of the older girls are leaving soon, and the Petal Pickers need a LOT of attention.
Hailey: Giggles. They're like babies with those cuffs. They can't even use the toilet without our help.
Auntie Sabrina: It's open to girls your age… older than the Petal Pickers, so you can handle them physically if needed, but young enough so that they see you as peers. Gwen and Hailey could show you the ropes this afternoon if you're interested. I think it would be beneficial to both of your healing journeys.
Natalie: Why me? I hate Petal Pickers.
Auntie Sabrina: That's just why I want you, Natalie. I know you'll deal with them with a firm hand. Which will balance out Rachel's softer touch if she also joins. I think you would both benefit from the experience. Being responsible for younger kids, not so different from your abusers mentally, but helpless and completely dependent on you… might give you a new perspective on things. Help you with the guilt, anger, and fear you've been carrying.
Rachel: I mean, I've done some babysitting before, but I don't know… I guess, if you think it will help with my therapy, then I trust you, Auntie Sabrina.
Natalie: Well, if Rachel's joining, then I guess I'm in. turns to look at Rachel. There's no way I'd leave you alone with those creeps.
Rachel smiles weakly at Natalie.
Hailey: Great! We'll see you both at Moon Village after dinner.