Episode
Children Are Not Witnesses: The Truth About Coercive Control with Emma Katz
- Published
- Apr 10, 2026
- Duration seconds
- 2585
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Summary
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, a…