Authority figures can redirect authoritarian hostility against nearly anyone.

Evidence

If social deviants and certain minority groups provide ready targets for authoritarian aggression, others can be victims as well. The authoritarian is more likely to attack a conventional person than a nonauthoritarian is, if an established authority sanctions it. This power of authority figures to direct the hostility of authoritarians against almost any target increases the danger of authoritarian aggression to all in a society. — Bob Altemeyer, The Authoritarian Specter, 153 (#corroborates, via linked claim)

Categorization

• XREF: connects to: Authoritarian aggression targets anyone threatening authority, not only norm violators — Bob Altemeyer, The Authoritarian Specter, 607; Authorities can redirect authoritarian aggression toward almost any target — Bob Altemeyer, The Authoritarian Specter, 153; Authoritarian aggression typically targets the helpless and is legitimized by higher authority — Bob Altemeyer, The Authoritarian Specter, 3875 (+3 more)

Broader Connections

• Authorities can redirect authoritarian aggression toward almost any target #corroborates (0.97) — Bob Altemeyer, The Authoritarian Specter, 153