Children Are Not Witnesses: The Truth About Coercive Control with Emma Katz
Perfect Prey: A Coercive Control PodcastShow Notes
Description In this episode of Perfect Prey, I’m joined by Emma Katz, criminologist and author of Coercive Control in Children’s and Mothers’ Lives. Emma is one of the leading researchers in the world examining how coercive control impacts children—not just as witnesses, but as direct victims navigating survival, attachment, and identity.
Together, we explore how children experience coercive control in deeply complex ways, how abusers strategically target the mother-child bond, and why so many systems continue to misunderstand—or completely overlook—the perpetrator’s role.
This conversation offers both profound validation and hope, highlighting the resilience of children and the critical role of protective parents in healing and recovery.
What we cover Why children are not “witnesses” but direct victims of coercive control
How perpetrators strategically target and damage the mother-child relationship
The three ways children experience abusive fathers: dangerous, “admirable,” and omnipresent
How manipulation, intermittent reinforcement, and fear shape children’s attachment
Why children may align with the abusive parent—and why that is not a choice
The psychological impact of coercive control on children’s identity, safety, and development
The resilience of children and the power of attachment with a protective parent
What recovery can look like for families after coercive control
Why listen If you are a protective parent, survivor, clinician, or professional working with families, this episode offers essential insight into how coercive control shapes children’s experiences—and why traditional frameworks often get it wrong.
Emma’s research brings clarity to what many families are living through, while also offering hope: children can heal, attachment can be rebuilt, and protective parenting matters more than anything.
Guest bio (short) Emma Katz is a criminologist, researcher, and author specializing in coercive control and its impact on women and children. She is the author of Coercive Control in Children’s and Mothers’ Lives and writes extensively about domestic abuse, family dynamics, and systemic responses. Her work has been instrumental in shifting the understanding of children as active victims of coercive control rather than passive witnesses.
Learn more about Dr. Emma Katz Substack: https://substack.com/@dremmakatz Official Site: https://dremmakatz.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/emmakatz_phd LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dr-emma-katz-5b911865/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCx1f7_MhfCmVufMQS0ZPRjQ X(twitter): https://x.com/DrEmmaKatzBook (Coercive Control in Children’s and Mothers’ Lives): https://www.amazon.com/Coercive-Control-Childrens-INTERPERSONAL-VIOLENCE/dp/0190922214/
Connect with Dr. Christine LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dr-christine-marie-cocchiola-443a58204/ Protective Parenting Program:https://www.coercivecontrolconsulting.com/services/for-parents/ Official site:https://www.coercivecontrolconsulting.com/ YouTube:https://www.youtube.com/@DrCocchiola-coercivecontrol/videos TikTok:https://www.tiktok.com/@dr.c_coercivecontrol Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/dr.cocchiola_coercivecontrol/ TEDxTalk:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gp2qByKOue4&t=24s Books:https://url-shortener.me/c/FramedBookhttps://url-shortener.me/c/EveryMomentOfEveryDay
If this episode landed for you, please share it with someone who needs to hear it, subscribe for more trauma-informed conversations, and consider leaving a review — it helps other survivors find validation and safety. 🩵 — Dr. Christine Cocchiola & guest Emma Katz
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