Cults, Culture & Coercion with Dr. Steve Hassan Understanding Coercive Control in Families with Dr. Christine Cocchiola
Sep 16, 2024
Dr. Christine Cocchiola, a tenured social work professor and licensed clinical social worker who studies coercive control, discusses authoritarian family dynamics and nonviolent abuse. She explains gaslighting, parental indoctrination, trauma bonds, and how abusers weaponize children. The conversation highlights assessing coercive patterns, repairing fractured attachments, and survivor stories from her book Framed.
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Language As A Weapon In Family Abuse
- Abusers co-opt terms like 'parental alienation' to weaponize the legal system against protective parents.
- Language control creates confusion and aids perpetrators' strategies.
Spreading Lies To Children Early On
- After infidelity, Dr. Cocchiola's husband told their children she was the cheater and blamed her medication.
- The children were 9 and 10 when he lied, and indoctrination unfolded long-term.
Weaponizing Attachment In Children
- Coercive fracturing of attachment can create insecure, disorganized attachment later in children.
- Abusers weaponize children to replicate abusive patterns across generations.
