Perfect Prey: A Coercive Control Podcast

In this episode of Perfect Prey, I'm joined by Richard Grannon, author of A Cult of One, psychology educator, and internationally recognized voice on narcissistic abuse recovery.

Together, we explore one of the most misunderstood questions surrounding coercive control: Why do victims stay? Richard offers a thought-provoking perspective on trauma, attachment, power, and the psychological mechanisms that keep people trapped in abusive relationships. We also discuss how these same dynamics impact children growing up in coercively controlling family systems and why healing requires far more than simply "walking away."

This conversation challenges traditional ideas about codependency, explores the concept of the "cult of one," and examines how coercive control creates an environment where victims gradually lose trust in themselves while becoming increasingly dependent on the abuser.

What we cover

•The psychology behind coercive control
•Why victims stay in abusive relationships
•The "Cult of One" concept
•Trauma bonding and attachment
•Codependency versus subjugation
•Why children align with abusive parents
•Power dynamics in coercively controlling families
•Ego resilience and recovery
•Betrayal by family court and legal systems
•Why understanding abuse is essential for healing

Why listen

Whether you're a survivor, protective parent, therapist, attorney, or advocate, this episode offers a deeper understanding of why coercive control is so difficult to recognize—and even harder to escape. Richard Grannon provides a fresh perspective on recovery while challenging long-held assumptions about abuse, trauma, and victimization.

Guest Bio

Richard Grannon is the author of A Cult of One, a psychology educator, speaker, and internationally recognized expert on narcissistic abuse recovery and complex trauma. With a background in behavioral psychology and over a decade of educating survivors worldwide, Richard helps people understand coercive control, establish healthy boundaries, and rebuild their lives after psychological abuse.

Connect with Richard Grannon

Website
https://richardgrannon.com/
YouTube
https://www.youtube.com/@RichardGrannon
Instagram
https://www.instagram.com/richard.grannon/
Facebook
https://www.facebook.com/RICHARDGRANNON/
X (Twitter)
https://x.com/RichardGrannon

Connect with Dr. Christine

🩵 Protective Parenting Program
https://www.coercivecontrolconsulting.com/services/for-parents/
Official Website
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/
TEDx Talk
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gp2qByKOue4&t=24s
Books
Framed
https://url-shortener.me/c/FramedBook
Every Moment of Every Day
https://url-shortener.me/c/EveryMomentOfEveryDay
If this episode resonated with you, please subscribe, share it with someone who may benefit, and leave a review. Your support helps bring trauma-informed conversations about coercive control to more survivors, professionals, and protective parents.
—
Dr. Christine Cocchiola & Richard Grannon

In this episode of Perfect Prey, I’m joined by Professor Sonja Ayeb-Karlsson, Professor of Intersectional Justice at University College London (UCL), whose research examines coercive control, legal entrapment, institutional abuse, migration, and human rights.

Together, we explore how coercive control extends beyond intimate relationships and into family court systems, why protective mothers and children often experience institutional betrayal, and how legal systems can unintentionally reinforce abuse rather than prevent it. We also discuss the Hague Convention, children's voices in family court, and why meaningful reform must begin by listening to survivors.

What we cover•Coercive control beyond intimate relationships
•Family court as a form of institutional abuse
•The Hague Convention and international custody cases
•Legal entrapment and human rights
•Why children's voices are often misunderstood
•Joan Meier's research on child abuse allegations
•The misuse of parental alienation allegations
•Why systemic reform is urgently needed

Why listenIf you're a survivor, protective parent, clinician, attorney, researcher, or advocate, this episode offers a powerful human rights perspective on coercive control and family court abuse. Professor Ayeb-Karlsson shares how research can help expose institutional failures and create meaningful change for women and children.

Guest bioProfessor Sonja Ayeb-Karlsson is Professor of Intersectional Justice at University College London (UCL). Her research focuses on legal entrapment, intersectionality, coercive control, migration, human trafficking, exploitation, and mental wellbeing.

She has published more than 100 academic works, including over 50 peer-reviewed articles, with more than 17,000 citations. Professor Ayeb-Karlsson leads the Everyday Disasters and Violences Research Group at UCL and previously served as a Senior Researcher with the United Nations University's Migration Section. She also leads the mental health and intersectionality work for the Lancet Countdown, is a core member of Hague Mothers and the Council of Europe's Network of Specialised Lawyers and NGOs Assisting Women Victims of Violence, and serves on several international editorial boards.

Connect with Professor Sonja Ayeb-KarlssonUCL Profile: https://profiles.ucl.ac.uk/87069-sonja-ayebkarlsson
Google Scholar: https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=kM8LTfkAAAAJ&hl=en
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/profayebkarlsson
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/prof-sonja-ayeb-karlsson-67692676/
Facebook ; https://www.facebook.com/profayebkarlsson/
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@profayebkarlsson
Blueskyhttps://bsky.app/profile/profayebkarlsson.bsky.social
Most of Professor Sonja's research articles are available free of charge. She regularly shares free article downloads on her Instagram, including papers that cannot otherwise be made open access due to journal restrictions.

Connect with Dr. Christine🩵 Protective Parenting Program:https://www.coercivecontrolconsulting.com/services/for-parents/Official Website: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=24sBooks:Framedhttps://url-shortener.me/c/FramedBookEvery Moment of Every Dayhttps://url-shortener.me/c/EveryMomentOfEveryDayIf this episode resonated with you, please subscribe, share it with someone who may benefit, and leave a review. Your support helps more survivors, professionals, and protective parents find these conversations.

—
Dr. Christine Cocchiola & Professor Sonja Ayeb-Karlsson

DescriptionIn this episode of Perfect Prey, I’m joined by Jeremy Indika, child sexual abuse educator, survivor, speaker, and advocate. Jeremy shares his own experience of childhood sexual abuse and explains why understanding grooming, coercive control, and child exploitation has never been more urgent.Together, we explore how perpetrators identify vulnerable children, the similarities between child sexual predators and coercive controllers, and why abuse is so often hidden in plain sight. Jeremy explains how grooming happens both offline and online, why "stranger danger" misses the mark, and what parents can do to empower children without taking away their innocence. We also discuss the rise of online exploitation, the importance of body autonomy education, role-playing safety skills with children, and why creating confident, educated children makes them far less attractive targets for predators.This conversation is both deeply personal and incredibly practical—offering parents, caregivers, educators, and professionals the tools to better understand how abuse happens and, more importantly, how we can prevent it.What we cover•Jeremy Indika's story as a survivor of childhood sexual abuse•The connection between coercive control and child sexual abuse•The stages of grooming and how predators build trust•Why children are "perfect prey" for abusers•The dangers of online grooming, pornography, and sextortion•Why "stranger danger" is no longer enough•Body autonomy and age-appropriate abuse prevention•Teaching children confidence, boundaries, and safe disclosure•Why role-playing difficult situations helps protect children•Supporting children without creating fear•Why education—not shame—is the key to preventionWhy listenIf you're a parent, educator, clinician, advocate, or simply someone who wants to better understand how child sexual abuse happens, this episode provides practical, trauma-informed guidance that could help protect a child.Jeremy reminds us that abuse is rarely about force in the beginning—it's about grooming, trust, and manipulation. By understanding these tactics, adults can create safer environments where children are empowered to speak up and predators lose their greatest advantage.Guest BioJeremy Indika is a child sexual abuse educator, speaker, survivor, and advocate dedicated to preventing child sexual exploitation through education and awareness.Drawing from both his lived experience and years of advocacy, Jeremy works with schools, parents, law enforcement, and organizations to teach practical strategies for recognizing grooming behaviors, empowering children, and preventing abuse before it occurs. Through workshops, social media, YouTube, and his podcast, Jeremy is helping make conversations about child protection more accessible, practical, and impactful.Connect with JeremyWebsite: https://www.jeremyindika.comYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@JeremyIndikaInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/jeremyindikaTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@jeremyindikaPodcast: https://www.jeremyindika.com/podcastConnect with Dr. Christine:Protective Parenting Program: https://www.coercivecontrolconsulting.com/services/for-parents/Dr. C's Community: https://go.drcocchiola.com/innercirclecommunityOfficial 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/TEDxTalks: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gp2qByKOue4&t=24sBooks:https://url-shortener.me/c/FramedBookhttps://url-shortener.me/c/EveryMomentOfEveryDayIf 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 & Jeremy Indika

Description
In this episode of Perfect Prey, I’m joined by Ann Burgess, pioneering forensic nurse, researcher, educator, and author of Expert Witness. Ann’s groundbreaking work transformed how professionals understand trauma, victimization, sexual violence, and offender behavior. Her research has influenced criminal investigations, forensic psychology, victim advocacy, and some of the most well-known criminal cases in modern history.

Together, we explore the long-term impact of trauma, why victims are so often disbelieved, and how systems continue to fail those who come forward. Ann shares insights from decades of work studying victims, offenders, serial violence, child abuse, and the psychology of coercion and control. We also discuss institutional betrayal, trauma responses in children and adults, family court failures, pornography, grooming, and what it takes to create meaningful change within systems that were never designed to fully protect victims.
What we cover
Ann Burgess’s pioneering work in victimology and forensic nursing

How trauma impacts behavior across the lifespan

Why victims are often disbelieved by systems and institutions

Institutional betrayal and systemic failures

Coercive control, fear, and psychological abuse

Trauma responses in children and adolescents

Child sexual abuse and delayed disclosure

Family court, victim credibility, and expert testimony

The role of pornography and grooming in abusive behavior

The Menendez case and evolving understandings of trauma

Why trauma-informed education is critical for professionals

How offender thinking patterns develop and escalate

Why listen
If you are a survivor, clinician, attorney, advocate, educator, or protective parent, this episode offers a rare opportunity to hear from one of the most influential voices in trauma and victim research.

Ann Burgess’s work helped shape how we understand trauma today. Her insights illuminate why victims respond the way they do, why systems often misunderstand those responses, and why meaningful reform requires us to listen more closely to survivors’ experiences.

Guest Bio
Ann Burgess, DNSc, APRN, FAAN is an internationally recognized forensic nurse, researcher, educator, and author. She is a professor at Boston College and has spent decades studying trauma, victimization, sexual violence, serial offenders, and forensic mental health.

Ann's groundbreaking research on rape trauma syndrome helped transform the understanding of victim responses to sexual assault. She has consulted with the FBI's Behavioral Science Unit, contributed to offender profiling research, and served as an expert witness in numerous high-profile cases.

She is the author of several books, including Expert Witness, which chronicles her work at the intersection of trauma, criminal behavior, and justice.

Connect with Ann Burgess
Book: Expert Witnesshttps://www.amazon.com/stores/Ann-W.-Burgess/author/B0H13DQXPP?ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_3&qid=1780604748&sr=1-3&shoppingPortalEnabled=true&ccs_id=9489809f-1ae4-4998-b8db-a0cbcc536d23
Boston College Faculty Profile: https://www.bc.edu

Connect with Dr. Christine
Protective Parenting Program: https://www.coercivecontrolconsulting.com/services/for-parents/
Dr. C’s Community: https://go.drcocchiola.com/innercirclecommunity
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/
TEDxTalks: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gp2qByKOue4&t=24s
Books:
https://url-shortener.me/c/FramedBook
https://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 & Ann Burgess

In this solo episode of Perfect Prey, Dr. Christine Cocchiola explores the connection between coercive control, childhood trauma, attachment, and the growing number of children being diagnosed with ADHD and other behavioral disorders.

Dr. Cocchiola challenges listeners to consider a critical question: what if many of the behaviors we label as “problematic” are actually trauma responses? What if children living within coercively controlling family systems are being misunderstood rather than truly seen?

Drawing from the work of Dr. Bessel van der Kolk, Dr. Gabor Maté, Dr. Bruce Perry, and betrayal trauma theory, this episode examines how trauma can manifest as fight, flight, freeze, and fawn responses in children — and how coercive control fractures attachment, identity, safety, and regulation.

Dr. Cocchiola also discusses how predatory parents weaponize children, how attachment is intentionally disrupted, and why protective parents play such a critical role in healing and rebuilding safety for their children.

What we cover
This episode is essential listening for protective parents, clinicians, educators, advocates, and anyone trying to better understand trauma, child behavior, and coercive control.
How trauma can mimic ADHD symptoms
Fight, flight, freeze, and fawn trauma responses in children
Coercive control within family systems
How predatory parents fracture attachment intentionally
Why dysregulated children are often misunderstood
Attachment, authenticity, and child development
Trauma, dissociation, and emotional regulation
The impact of coercive control on school performance and behavior
Why children exposed to abuse may appear oppositional or disengaged
Protective parenting and reigniting attachment
Broken attachment, broken safety, and “broken brain”
How systems often pathologize traumatized children instead of protecting them
Why listen
If you are raising a child impacted by coercive control, navigating post-separation abuse, or working professionally with children and families, this episode offers a trauma-informed framework for understanding behavior through the lens of attachment and survival.

Dr. Cocchiola invites listeners to shift away from asking “What’s wrong with this child?” and instead ask: “What happened to this child?”

Connect with Dr. Christine:
Protective Parenting Program: https://www.coercivecontrolconsulting.com/services/for-parents/
Dr. C’s Community: https://go.drcocchiola.com/innercirclecommunity
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/
TEDxTalks: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gp2qByKOue4&t=24s
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 may need this conversation, subscribe to Perfect Prey, and leave a review — it helps other survivors and protective parents find support and validation.
🩵
— Dr. Christine Cocchiola