I've noticed a strange phenomenon in a certain clique I'm in. There is this guy who maintains frame very well. It's pretty obvious he likes talking behind peoples' backs (he does it all the time) and I've noticed that the balance of power has rapidly been shifting towards him more and more since he joined.

The other male members of the clique are not very adept at maintaining frame (me included). The women in the clique have rapidly become more and more open to bashing its members openly (especially after I noticed that he was visiting them after work). Whereas they used to be quiet, they now latch onto weaknesses and pick at them like vultures.

How exactly is he doing this? It's fascinating and I really want to understand this phenomenon, or how to counter it.