What do Torturing Prisoners of War and Domestic Abuse Have in Common?

According to psychologist Albert Biderman, everything

Photo by Sydney Sims on Unsplash

In 1956 psychologist Albert Biderman identified the common tactics used to extract false confessions from prisoners of war.

He later recognised that these tactics are also adopted by domestic abusers, applying the same methods to achieve control over their victims.

He identified 8 types of abusers, and these quickly became known as the “Biderman behaviors”.

The isolator

• Stops her from seeing family and friends
• Prevents her from having any perspective other than theirs
• Is manipulative or forces her to stay at home

The brainwasher

• Keeps her focused on them
• Doesn’t give her time or space to think
• Keeps her confused

The exhauster

• Keeps her up late
• Makes her do all the work
• Wakes her up at night
• Goes on and on and on at her

The threatener

• Makes her scared for her or other people's…