Organizational Dysfunction

access to family income, taking their money, requiring the person to ask for money,
giving them an allowance, or filing a power of attorney or conservatorship, particularly in
the case of economic abuse of the elderly.
Emotional Abuse
Emotional abuse include name-calling, playing mind games, putting the victim down,
or humiliating the individual. The goals are to make the person feel bad about
themselves, feel guilty or think that they are crazy.
Isolation
Another element of psychological control is the isolation of the victim from the outside
world. Isolation includes controlling a person's social activity: who they see, who they
talk to, where they go, and any other method to limit their access to others. It may also
include limiting what material is read. It can include insisting on knowing where they are
and requiring permission for medical care. The abuser exhibits hypersensitive and
reactive jealousy.
Minimizing, Denying and Blaming
The abuser may deny the abuse occurred to attempt to place the responsibility for their
behavior on the victim. Minimizing concerns or the degree of the abuse is another
aspect of this control.
Using Children and Pets
Children may be used to exert control by the abuser threatening to take the children or
making them feel guilty about the children. It could include harassing them during
visitation or using the children to relay messages. Another controlling tactic is abusing
pets.
Using Privilege
Using "privilege" means that the abuser defines the roles in the relationship, makes the
important decisions, treats the individual like a servant and acts like the "master of the
castle".
In the Workplace
A power and control model has been developed for the workplace, divided into the
following categories:
overt actions
covert actions
emotional control
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