How covert abuse isolates survivors: The private island of coercive control
What is coercive control and how does covert abuse isolate survivors? In this new video, Ruth Darlene, Founder and Executive Director of WomenSV, explains how coercive control traps survivors in isolation through subtle manipulation, intimidation and psychological abuse that often hides in plain sight.
Coercive control involves a pattern of manipulation and intimidation used to dominate and isolate a partner. Covert abusers often use subtle tactics that gradually cut survivors off from friends, family and support systems. Over time, this isolation can make it feel as though the survivor is living on a “private island,” separated from the outside world.
Drawing on more than 15 years of experience educating service providers, survivors and communities about covert abuse and coercive control, Ruth Darlene shares:
• What coercive control is and how it differs from other forms of abuse
• How covert abusers hide in plain sight while maintaining a positive public image
• Common covert abuse tactics used to manipulate and isolate survivors
• Why coercive control increases lethality risks in abusive relationships
• What to do if someone you know is experiencing coercive control
• What survivors should know if they recognize these patterns in their own relationship
• How survivors can begin overcoming isolation through community support
If you're wondering about what coercive control looks like, signs of covert abuse, or how abusers isolate survivors from friends and family, this video is for you. You'll learn how coercive control works, why it can be difficult to recognize and how survivors and communities can begin breaking the silence of isolation.
Video timestamps:
00:00 What is coercive control?
4:14 How covert abusers hide in plain sight
6:41 What to say to someone you're concerned about
8:52 Coercive control training
9:13 What to know if it happens to you
11:52 Covert abuse tactics
17:12 Coercive control lethality risks
19:43 Overcoming isolation in community
About WomenSV:
WomenSV is a nonprofit dedicated to raising awareness about coercive control and covert abuse, helping survivors, advocates, service providers and community members recognize and address subtle forms of domestic abuse.
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