Coercive Control & Art Therapy
Coercive control is experienced by most survivors as devastating and overwhelming. Coercive control is a strategic pattern of terroristic tactics used to completely dominate another person. In coercive control, the target (victim) is subjected to terroristic and torturous psychological, emotional and, sometimes even, physical abuse. These highly manipulative and deceptive tactics work together to break […]
The Devil Inside – Coercive Control & Predators
Predators use many of the tactics of coercive control to ensnare their targets, and pedophiles are some of the most adept predatory coercive controllers on the planet. They are masters of abuse in plain sight. They have to be in order to fool the people around their targets into seeing them as harmless and loving. Jimmy Hinton, pastor, […]
Survivor-Centered Language
I write a lot about language and terminology for domestic abuse, domestic violence and coercive control. I don’t do this because I insist that people use MY language. Loading language is actually a red flag for undue influence and thought reform, other terms related to coercive control, so that is the last thing I would […]
New Web Site for End Coercive Control USA
If the site looks a little different, it’s because we have a completely new web site and blog. End Coercive Control USA’s new platform will allow us to offer courses and lots of other important resources for coercive control professionals and survivors online. Woo Hoo! As founder and CEO of ECCUSSA, much of my understanding […]
Domestic Violence or Domestic Abuse?
Section 76 of the Serious Crime Act of 2015 created a monumental shift in how domestic abuse is addressed in the United Kingdom. It added coercive and controlling behaviors as a serious offense, essentially criminalizing coercive control. However, the Domestic Abuse Bill proposed in 2019, and still in progress, includes another important distinction. It removes the language of domestic […]
High Conflict – What’s wrong with this language?
High conflict is the typical label slapped on a divorcing couple within the United States family court system when domestic abuse and/or coercive control are a factor in the case. As far as problematic language goes, high conflict is, in my opinion, the most damaging terminology applied to victims and survivors of domestic abuse and […]
The Power & Control Wheel & The Maze of Coercive Control
The Power & Control Wheel, developed by the Domestic Abuse Intervention Project in Daluth, MN, was created in 1984 using the input of victims and survivors of domestic violence. It details the many abusive tactics used by abusers to control and dominate their intimate partners and/or ex-partners. The Power & Control Wheel is still used […]
Coercive Control in the Workplace
While the framework of coercive control that expert Evan Stark researches and covers extensively in his book “Coercive Control – How men entrap women in personal life”, is all about intimate partner violence (IPV), I believe that much of the coercive control framework can be applied in other contexts as well. Lisa Fontes, author of […]
Do coercive controllers know that they are using coercive control?
One of the most commonly misunderstood aspects of coercive control and abuse is whether the actions of the abuser are intentional. Do abusers truly recognize the harm they are inflicting? This question is central to our understanding of abusive dynamics and can shape how we respond to and support survivors. Exploring the intentions behind coercive […]
DARVO, Domestic Abuse & Coercive Control
DARVO is a relatively recent term. Jennifer Freyd, a researcher at the University of Oregon, first started using the term in 1997 to describe a pattern of emotional abuse that often presents in relationship involving domestic violence. DARVO is an acronym that stands for Deny, Attack, Reverse Victim & Offender, and it is prevalent, not […]