Sociopaths do not believe that the rules apply to them. They do not fight fair. Therefore, if you choose to fight a sociopath, or if you have no choice but to fight a sociopath, your own fighting style will need to become aggressive as well. If you're a nice person, if you typically want to do what's fair for everyone involved — well, that doesn't work with a sociopath. A sociopath's objective is not to be fair. It's to win, and possibly annihilate you in the process. To survive the battle, you'll need to act in a way that is probably contrary to your nature. It will be uncomfortable, but necessary. First decision — do you fight? Here's the first and most important decision: …
Many police officers, courts and child protective services know nothing about sociopaths. Understand the blindness, so you can plan a path forward.
Jennifer Dulos disappearance: Warning signs in the custody battle
Jennifer Dulos, a mother of five from New Canaan, Connecticut, has been missing since May 24, 2019. Since her blood was on clothing and sponges found in 30 garbage bags that her estranged husband, Fotis Dulos, was allegedly trying to dispose of, I fear that this case is not going to end well. Jennifer and Fotis Dulos were in the midst of a bitter divorce and custody battle. The Stamford Advocate examined court documents of the case. Here's the story: Divorce documents: Jennifer Dulos feared her estranged husband, on StamfordAdvocate.com. Jennifer's descriptions of her husband's behavior, and the charges leveled by Fotis Dulos against is wife, are classic examples of psychopathic …
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Children with a sociopath — do you stay or do you go?
Finally figuring out, after years of marriage and a couple of kids, that your partner is a sociopath, is a good news/bad news situation. The good news: You are not crazy. You were not imagining things and you were not overreacting. There is a bona fide, medical reason for the insanity you have been enduring — your spouse has a serious personality disorder. The bad news: Now that you know what the problem is, you need to figure out what to do about it — and all of the options are difficult. I'm writing this blog in response to the post in the Lovefraud Forum submitted by "Gccc," called 16 years, 2 children later, my life imploded. A death of sorts. Following is what she wrote. The …
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Man charged with killing his wife hours after a nonprofit posted his bail
On April 4, 2019, Samuel Scott, of St. Louis, Missouri, was arrested on a misdemeanor assault charge. In January, he had hit his wife, Marcia Johnson, and threatened to kill her. The judge set his bail at $5000. On April 9, 2019, the St. Louis Bail Project, part of a national nonprofit that bails people out of jail, posted Scott's bail. Also on April 9, 2019, Scott was served with a restraining order, prohibiting him from entering his wife's home or coming within 300 feet of her. But on April 9, 2019 around 7:45 pm, Scott went to his wife's home and beat her. A friend found her unconscious, with a broken eye socket and several broken ribs. Police say she was nearly dead with severe …
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Legal Abuse Syndrome: the result of facing sociopaths in court
Book review — Legal Abuse Syndrome: A Preventable Public Health Problem, by Dr. Karin Huffer Review by Donna Andersen You're traumatized by your experience with a sociopath. Then you face a divorce, child custody or some other court battle against the sociopath — and you're traumatized all over again. The sociopath lies about you, smears your reputation and makes false accusations against you. So do his or her attorneys. And the clueless judge allows all of it. Thirty years ago, Dr. Karin Huffer, a marriage and family therapist, witnessed this phenomenon among her clients. No matter what she did to help them, they kept getting worse. Then she realized that everything she did for …
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Emotional abuse is a crime in Ireland
Emotional and psychological abuse in an intimate relationship is now a crime in Ireland. The Domestic Violence Act of 2018, which went into effect on Jan. 1, 2019, created a new criminal offense of "coercive control." Coercive control is defined as: "Psychological abuse in intimate relationships that causes fear of violence or serious alarm or distress that has a substantial adverse impact on a person's day-to-day life, manifesting as a pattern of intimidation or humiliation involving psychological or emotional abuse." Coercive control is already illegal in England and Scotland. Psychological violence is illegal in France. In a radio interview, Margaret Martin, director of Women's …
Bikers protect kids who must testify against abusers
Guardians of the Children is a biker organization that protects victims of child abuse. When a child must testify agains an abuser in court, the bikers escort the child to the courthouse, keep the child surrounded, and sit in the courtroom during the testimony. Their actions make the children feel protected. This organization is based in San Antonio, Texas, and has chapters in 20 states. I would like to see them everywhere. More information: Guardians of the Children …
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To better protect victims, UK strengthens stalking laws
Four years ago, a new stalking law enabled prosecutors in England and Wales to charge offenders with stalking, even when their behavior falls short of creating a fear of violence in the victim. The idea was to stop stalking behavior, especially in domestic violence cases, before it escalated. Authorities have announced new orders that extends the law so that it protects people who are being stalked by strangers. Police can apply to the courts for orders to make stalkers stay away from their victims, before the stalker has been convicted, or even arrested. Stalking: New orders planned to give quick protection, on BBC.com. New stalking legislation helps to bring thousands more prosecutions …
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Invisible Intimate Partner Abuse and How to Manage Coercive Control in Court
By Dr. Karin Huffer — editor Wilene Gremain In recognition of Domestic Violence Awareness Month, here's a composite story drawn from my cases: I was a successful college educated thirty-something when I finally met my soul mate on a cruise ship to Alaska. Independent thinker, educated, ecology minded, career oriented, honest, he was almost the mirror image of myself as far as these qualities, two of a kind. We had it all. I was incredibly happy. Anything ”¦ we would do anything to show the love and respect we felt for each other. “Marry Me?” “You Bet!” After almost one year of marriage and closing in on our first Christmas together, I was at full throttle to make the best ever Christmas …
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Help for Overcoming the Trauma of Facing the Abuser in Court
After suffering the trauma of domestic violence, many victims are terrified to face their abusers in court. The federal Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) can offer support, so in recognition of Domestic Violence Awareness Month, Lovefraud Continuing Education presents the online course, "Surviving Court When You're Traumatized" on Oct. 17 and 25, 2016. Domestic violence victims often suffer from anxiety, depression and post-traumatic stress disorder, explains Dr. Karin Huffer, an adjunct professor at the John Jay College of Criminal Justice and author of the course. When victims must appear in court with the abuser for divorce, child custody or other legal matters, their symptoms may …
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