Perfect Prey: A Coercive Control Podcast

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

Description
In this episode of Perfect Prey, I’m joined by Donna Palomba, founder of Jane Doe No More and survivor of a violent home invasion and sexual assault that led to years of institutional betrayal.

Donna shares her harrowing story—from surviving a brutal attack in her own home to being disbelieved, interrogated, and re-traumatized by the very system meant to protect her. What followed was a seven-year legal battle against law enforcement, uncovering systemic failures, bias, and the devastating impact of not believing victims.

This conversation explores not only the trauma of the assault itself, but the profound harm caused by institutional betrayal—and the strength it takes to fight back, seek justice, and create change.

What we cover
Donna’s story of surviving a violent home invasion and sexual assault
The immediate aftermath and failures in the investigative process
Institutional betrayal and being treated as a suspect instead of a victim
The long legal battle against law enforcement and systemic resistance
The role of DNA evidence and delayed justice
How perpetrators often live “double lives” and evade suspicion
The impact of statute of limitations laws on survivors
Donna’s advocacy work and the founding of Jane Doe No More
Prevention, education, and empowering communities to protect others

Why listen
If you are a survivor, advocate, clinician, attorney, or protective parent, this episode offers a powerful and deeply emotional look at what happens when systems fail victims—and what it takes to hold those systems accountable. Donna’s story is both heartbreaking and hopeful, showing that even in the face of profound injustice, change is possible.

Guest bio (short)
Donna Palomba is the founder of Jane Doe No More, an organization dedicated to improving the way society responds to survivors of sexual crimes and advancing prevention education. After surviving a violent sexual assault and years of institutional betrayal, Donna became a leading advocate for victims’ rights, helping change laws and educate communities on safety, accountability, and survivor support.

Learn more about Donna Palomba & Jane Doe No More:
Website: ⁠https://janedoenomore.org/⁠Book (Jane Doe No More): ⁠https://www.amazon.com/Jane-Doe-No-More/dp/1642939709⁠Podcast (Jane Doe No More Podcast): ⁠https://janedoenomore.org/podcast/⁠
Instagram: ⁠https://www.instagram.com/janedoenomore/⁠Facebook: ⁠https://www.facebook.com/janedoenomore⁠LinkedIn: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/company/jane-doe-no-more/⁠

Connect with Dr. Christine
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/⁠
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 Donna Palomba

Description

In this episode of Perfect Prey, I’m joined by Dr. Elizabeth Dalgarno, founder and director of the SHERA Research Group and lecturer in public health at the University of Manchester. Dr. Dalgarno’s work focuses on the global harms caused by family court systems and the institutional abuse experienced by women and children navigating these legal processes.

Through SHERA’s groundbreaking research, Dr. Dalgarno and her international team have documented how family court engagement can produce profound health consequences for protective parents and children. Their studies reveal a disturbing pattern: when abuse is reported, mothers are frequently accused of “parental alienation,” their credibility is questioned, and the legal system often becomes an extension of the abuse rather than a source of protection.

Together, we explore how coercive control continues after separation, how courts can become tools of post-separation abuse, and why the health impacts of family court trauma are still largely ignored by institutions responsible for protecting families.

What we cover
The mission and global research of the SHERA Research Group

How family court systems create institutional betrayal for survivors

The health consequences of family court trauma for women and children

The “blueprint” pattern many protective parents experience after reporting abuse

Why parental alienation frameworks often silence abuse disclosures

The concept of malicious fracturing of attachment

How coercive control continues through legal systems after separation

Why systemic reform is necessary to protect children and survivors

Why listen
If you are a survivor, protective parent, clinician, researcher, attorney, or advocate, this episode offers crucial insight into how family court systems can perpetuate harm rather than stop it. Dr. Dalgarno’s research provides evidence-based documentation of what protective parents have been saying for decades—and highlights why systemic reform is urgently needed.

Guest bio (short)
Dr. Elizabeth Dalgarno is the founder and director of the SHERA Research Group, a global collective studying the health impacts of institutional abuse within family court systems. She is a lecturer in public health at the University of Manchester, where she teaches global women’s public health and health system challenges. Her research focuses on the intersection of coercive control, institutional harm, and the health consequences experienced by women and children navigating family courts worldwide.

Learn more about SHERA Research
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sherafamily_
Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/sherafamily
Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/sherafamily
Substack: Still Not Safe – Dr. Dalgarno

Connect with Dr. Christine
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/
Books:
https://url-shortener.me/c/FramedBook
https://url-shortener.me/c/EveryMomentOfEveryDay

If this episode resonated with you, please share it with someone who needs to hear it, subscribe to Perfect Prey, and consider leaving a review. Your support helps other survivors and protective parents find validation and clarity.
— Dr. Christine Cocchiola & guest Dr. Elizabeth Dalgarno

Description

In this solo episode of Perfect Prey, I explore one of the most heartbreaking dynamics of coercive control: the weaponization of children.

Children rely on their parents for safety, stability, and unconditional love. But when a predatory parent is operating within the family system, attachment can become fractured.
Instead of growing up with secure connection, children are often indoctrinated into false narratives, exposed to subtle undermining, and pulled into loyalty binds they cannot cognitively or emotionally process.

I explain how coercive control is the underpinning of all forms of abuse — psychological, legal, financial, physical, and emotional — and how, when an abuser can no longer control their partner, they often shift to controlling through the child.

We’ll talk about:
How attachment is formed — and how it can be fractured

Why children may come home dysregulated, angry, or oppositional

How subtle undermining and false narratives are planted

The difference between alienation rhetoric and attachment fracture

Why predatory parents rely on retaliation and loyalty conflicts

How protective parents can create “roadblocks” to manipulation

What it means to respond instead of react — even when you are traumatized

This episode is especially for protective parents navigating post-separation abuse and family court dynamics. The reality is painful: children are often placed in impossible positions, forced into emotional roles they should never have to carry.

But there are ways to respond differently.

If you are watching your child struggle, unravel, or lash out after time with the other parent, this episode will help you understand what may be happening beneath the surface — and how to stay grounded in your role as the secure base.

Protective parents are doing some of the hardest work there is. You are not alone.

Connect with Dr. Christine
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/
Books:
https://url-shortener.me/c/FramedBook
https://url-shortener.me/c/EveryMomentOfEveryDay

If this episode resonated, please share it with someone who needs this information, subscribe to Perfect Prey, and consider leaving a review. It helps other survivors and protective parents find validation and clarity.
— Dr. Christine Cocchiola

In this episode of Perfect Prey, I’m joined by Laura Richards, a criminal behavioral analyst, former New Scotland Yard specialist, and one of the leading global voices on coercive control. Laura has been instrumental in changing laws on stalking and coercive control in the UK and internationally, and her work has helped shape policy, legislation, and professional practice worldwide.

We explore why coercive control is not about isolated incidents, but a patterned strategy of domination, entrapment, and power imbalance. Laura explains why coercive control is best understood as a war of attrition, how patriarchy and misogyny shape institutional responses, and why women and children are so often disbelieved—even when the evidence is present.

This conversation examines how legal systems, family courts, and law enforcement frequently fail victims and survivors, particularly at the point of separation, when risk escalates most dramatically. We also discuss why coercive control must be criminalized, why gender matters in risk assessment, and how language itself can either obscure or reveal abuse.

What we cover
What coercive control really is and why it’s a patterned form of abuse

Why victims and survivors are often disbelieved by systems meant to protect them

Coercive control as “murders and suicides in slow motion”

The role of patriarchy, entitlement, and power imbalance in abuse

Why separation is the most dangerous time for women and children

How family courts can become a tool of post-separation abuse

Why protecting children requires protecting the non-abusive parent

The urgent need to criminalize coercive control globally

Why listen If you are a survivor, protective parent, clinician, attorney, advocate, or policymaker, this episode offers critical insight into how coercive control operates beneath the surface of relationships and systems. Laura Richards brings clarity to why abuse is so often minimized, misunderstood, or reframed—and what must change to prevent further harm.

Guest bio (short)Laura Richards is a criminal behavioral analyst, former New Scotland Yard specialist, and a leading international expert on coercive control, stalking, and violence against women. She helped create the DASH risk assessment model, founded the National Stalking Advocacy Service (Paladin), and played a central role in criminalizing coercive control in England and Wales. Laura is the author of Policing Domestic Violence and host of the Crime Analyst and Real Crime Profile podcasts.

Connect with Dr. Christine
Official site: https://www.thelaurarichards.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/crimeanalyst?utm_source=ig_web_button_share_sheet&igsh=ZDNlZDc0MzIxNw==
X (twitter): https://x.com/thecrimeanalyst
Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@crimeanalystpod
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCksfRSwfwFqUCjcxKYju6_Q
Books: https://www.thelaurarichards.com/resources/books

Connect with Dr. Christine
Protective Parenting Program: https://www.coercivecontrolconsulting.com/services/for-parents/Official site: https://www.coercivecontrolconsulting.com/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@DrCocchiola-coercivecontrol/videosTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@dr.c_coercivecontrolInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/dr.cocchiola_coercivecontrol/TEDx Talk: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gp2qByKOue4&t=24s
Books:https://url-shortener.me/c/FramedBookhttps://url-shortener.me/c/EveryMomentOfEveryDay

If this episode resonated, please share it with someone who needs this information, subscribe to Perfect Prey, and consider leaving a review to help other survivors find validation and clarity.
— Dr. Christine Cocchiola & guest Laura Richards