Coercive Methods For Enforcing Compliance
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Offers theory, guidance, and prompts for mental health professionals. Downloads are in Fillable PDF format where appropriate.
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Introduction & Theoretical Background
Abusers use a variety of techniques in order to coerce others into behaving the way they want. In 1956 the psychologist Albert Biderman developed a framework for understanding the methods foreign armies used to extract false confessions from prisoners of war. Psychologists now believe that abusers in many different situations use the same methods to achieve control over their victims. For example, victims of domestic violence or childhood abuse often report having experienced similar treatment. These methods include:
- Isolation
- Monopolization of perception
- Induced exhaustion / debilitation
- Threats
- Occasional indulgences
- Demonstrating 'omnipotence' and 'omniscience'
- Degradation
- Enforcing trivial demands
Therapist Guidance
This is a Psychology Tools information handout. Suggested uses include:
- Client handout - use as a psychoeducation resource
- Discussion point - use to provoke a discussion and explore client beliefs
- Therapist learning tool - improve your familiarity with a psychological construct
- Teaching resource - use as a learning tool during training
This information sheet gives details of methods of coercive control used by abusers. A checklist allows clients to report what methods of control they were subject to. These can be used as an assessment measure, or are helpful as starting points for therapeutic conversations.
References And Further Reading
- Biderman, A. D. (1957). Communist attempts to elicit false confessions from Air Force prisoners of war. Bulletin of the New York Academy of Medicine, 33(9), 616-625 ncbi.nlm.nih.gov archive.org