COERCE means to forcefully persuade, compel, or threaten an unwilling person to do something, often exploiting fear, authority, or pressure. It involves overpowering someone's will to achieve compliance or obedience.
COERCIVE CONTROL
Coercive control is a pattern of acts and behaviors that an abuser uses to take away your freedom and to control your life.
GASLIGHTING
The term “gaslighting” is used to describe a pattern of behavior in which the abuser denies that acts or events have happened as you know they have, causing you to question your reality, doubt your judgment and memory, and feel like you are going crazy. The abuser will often twist your emotions, words, and experiences and use them against you. Gaslighting tends to happen gradually, over time.
ISOLATION
One way an abuser can gain control is by cutting you off from the people who care about you. This is called isolation. Over time, this can make you feel like the abuser is the only person you can turn to.
SHIFTING BLAME (“DARVO”)
Another form of emotional abuse is when the abuser denies the abuse, blames you for his/her actions, or makes you look like the bad one. For example, s/he might:
- spread lies about you to friends or family;
- say that you are really the one being abusive; or
- call the police and make a false report against you, accusing you of doing what s/he did to you.
Some people call this pattern “DARVO,” which stands for “deny, attack, reverse victim and offender.” It’s a way to shift blame away from the abuser and make you seem like the one at fault.
THREATS OF SUICIDE OR SELF HARM
Sometimes, an abusive partner or ex may say things like, “If you leave me, I’ll kill myself,” or “If you don’t do what I say, I’ll hurt myself.” These are very serious threats—and they are also a form of emotional and psychological abuse.
The abuser is trying to make you feel guilty or scared so you’ll stay in the relationship or do what s/he wants. These sorts of threats of self-harm play off of your love or concern for the abuser as a way to control you.
USING CHILDREN
If you and the abuser have a child together, the abuser may use your child to control, scare, or hurt you.
USING OTHERS
Sometimes, an abuser may hurt you by going through other people (third parties) instead of doing it directly. This can take different forms and involve different people.
ABUSE OF PETSThey may try to hurt or control you by threatening to harm or actually harming your pet or a family pet or to force you to watch harm of pets or force you to do harm to your pets
Source: https://www.womenslaw.org/about-abuse/forms-abuse/emotional-and-psychological-abuse/forms-emotional-and-psychological-abuse