In this show, Dr. Silberg will explain how some people who are domestic abusers can use the children in a form of domestic violence by proxy, hoping to hurt their ex, by physically, sexually, or emotionally by abusing the children. Many domestic violence perpetrators threaten their spouses by using their children as pawns, convincing their partners that will never see their children again if they leave the marriage. As we explore this dynamic, Dr. Silberg will explain how courts sometimes misunderstand the way that battered women present in court. We will process the difference between the normal badmouthing that occurs in any divorce situation and the lethal emotional abuse found in “dv by proxy.” The notion of parental alienation will be dissected and explained, and we will talk about “high conflict” divorce and why that is often a misnomer. We will also identify where parents can get help when their children are subjected to this form of trauma.
Special Guest:
Dr. Joyanna Silberg Dr. Silberg is the coordinator of Trauma Disorder Services for Children and Adolescents at Sheppard Pratt Health System in Baltimore Maryland and the Executive Vice-President of the Leadership Council on Child Abuse & Interpersonal Violence. She treats children and adolescents suffering from dissociative symptoms and disorders, and her forensic practice specializes in child sexual abuse. She has served as an expert witness in 27 states. She is past-president of the International Society for the Study of Trauma & Dissociation and contributing editor to their journal of Trauma and Dissociation. She has won several awards for her research and clinical work. Silberg is the editor of The Dissociative Child and co-editor of Misinformation Concerning Child Sexual Abuse and Adult Survivors. She has presented nationally and internationally on child abuse, psychotherapy, and protecting abused children in family court. Her newest book The Child Survivor was recently released. Learn more about Dr. Silberg here. >
