Emotional Assault: Recognizing an Abusive Partner's Bag of Tricks

When most people think of abuse, images of domestic violence come to mind. However, emotional abuse is a form of indirect violence that also deserves recognition. It is difficult to overcome because it is often impossible to identify. While domestic abuse is tragic, it is impossible to ignore the evidence of it. The impact of emotional abuse, on the other hand, is often invisible. Since others don’t see any physical scars, they have no idea how much the victim is suffering. When the emotionally abused spouse speaks up, people are often dismissive of her pain. This leaves the victim in a constant state of confusion and self-blame. In this book, author Leah Smith identifies eight common tactics that emotionally abusive people use to control their partners, such as giving the silent treatment or playing the victim. Leah Smith uses examples from her relationship with her former husband to help readers name abusive tactics in their own relationships. As she states in the introduction to this book, knowledge is power. After identifying a trait of emotionally abusive partners, Leah Smith goes on to offer suggestions on how to confront it. She makes it clear that confronting the behavior may not make it stop and that each woman needs to decide for herself if her relationship is worth saving. The second section of Emotional Assault helps the reader assess her current relationship and provides resources should she decide to end it. This book is hopeful and engaging while empowering emotionally abused women to change their lives.