Category: EMOTIONAL ABUSE

Behind Closed Doors: Recognising the Warning Signs of Child Sexual Abuse and Hidden Offending

The respectable identity an adult presents to society does not necessarily reveal their private behaviour. Understanding grooming, boundary violations, secrecy and patterns of inappropriate conduct can help protect children before abuse escalates. One of the most difficult aspects of child sexual abuse is that perpetrators do not necessarily look, behave or present themselves in ways… Read More Behind Closed Doors: Recognising the Warning Signs of Child Sexual Abuse and Hidden Offending

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When Marriage and Relationships Become a Cover for Hidden Behaviour

Three children play on a slide while a man sits on a park bench.

Perhaps one of the most uncomfortable realities about sexual offending is that it does not always exist separately from an apparently ordinary domestic life. Some individuals maintain marriages, long-term relationships, families and respectable social identities while concealing behaviour that is entirely at odds with the image they present to the outside world. Marriage can create… Read More When Marriage and Relationships Become a Cover for Hidden Behaviour

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The Hidden Offender: Voyeurism, Secret Observation and Sexual Exploitation of Children

Nikon Monarch binoculars on a wooden railing overlooking a winding river and mountains

Not all child sexual abuse involves physical contact. Some offenders derive sexual gratification from secretly watching, observing, recording or obtaining access to images of children in private or intimate situations. These behaviours are particularly disturbing because the child may have absolutely no knowledge that they are being watched or exploited. A child might believe they… Read More The Hidden Offender: Voyeurism, Secret Observation and Sexual Exploitation of Children

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The Children Nobody Spoke About: The Secrecy, Silence and Concealment Surrounding Child Sexual Abuse

By Linda C J Turner, Therapist & Advocate — Linda C J Turner Trauma Therapist | Neuroscience & Emotional Intelligence Practitioner | Advocate for Women’s Empowerment ©Linda C J Turner

Behind the stories of abducted and exploited children lies another, often less visible story: the secrecy that enables offenders to operate, the silence imposed on victims, and the uncomfortable reality that some perpetrators remain hidden in plain sight. The story of Sally Horner, the young American girl whose kidnapping became associated with Vladimir Nabokov’s novel… Read More The Children Nobody Spoke About: The Secrecy, Silence and Concealment Surrounding Child Sexual Abuse

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Practical Healing Steps: Learning to Feel Safe with Intimacy Again

Healing after inconsistent affection, emotional dismissal, or sexual pressure involves rebuilding safety, autonomy, and trust in yourself. Recognise withdrawal as protective, practise boundaries, explore non-sexual touch gradually, and distinguish calm from anxiety. Grounding, self-compassion, consistent respect, trauma-informed therapy, and patience can support recovery. Intimacy should remain freely chosen, never owed or forced.… Read More Practical Healing Steps: Learning to Feel Safe with Intimacy Again

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When Your Body Stops Feeling Safe

Sexual pressure and emotional punishment can make intimacy feel unsafe, leading to anxiety, avoidance, numbness, or reduced desire. These reactions are protective responses, not personal failures. Healthy intimacy requires freely given consent, respected boundaries, and affection without obligation. Recovery involves restoring choice, rebuilding trust gradually, and seeking trauma-informed support when needed.… Read More When Your Body Stops Feeling Safe

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Sexual Rejection Versus Sexual Coercion

When a partner’s right to say no becomes confused with another person’s perceived entitlement to sex Sexual intimacy is one of the most personal aspects of a relationship. It involves physical consent, emotional safety, trust, vulnerability and mutual respect. Yet in some relationships, the subject of sex becomes entangled with entitlement, rejection, resentment and power.… Read More Sexual Rejection Versus Sexual Coercion

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Sexual and Emotional Withholding as Punishment

By Linda C J Turner, Therapist & Advocate — Linda C J Turner Trauma Therapist | Neuroscience & Emotional Intelligence Practitioner | Advocate for Women’s Empowerment ©Linda C J Turner © 2025 Linda Carol Turner. Content protected by copyright.
Reproduction or redistribution in any form requires prior written permission from the author.
When quoting or referencing, please cite: Linda Carol Turner, Psychology & Neuroscience Insights.

When affection, intimacy and physical closeness become instruments of power, rejection and control in a relationship. Introduction: When affection becomes conditional Intimacy is an important part of many relationships. It can provide reassurance, connection, pleasure, comfort and a sense of being wanted. But what happens when affection disappears whenever one partner disagrees, challenges the other,… Read More Sexual and Emotional Withholding as Punishment

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ASPD, Intimacy and Sex: The Psychology of Desire, Attachment and Emotional Connection

Can someone desire you sexually but struggle to connect with you emotionally? Can sex exist without genuine intimacy? And how might antisocial personality traits affect affection, vulnerability, trust and long-term sexual relationships? This is an important area of understanding ASPD because sexual desire, emotional attachment, empathy and love are four different psychological experiences. A person can… Read More ASPD, Intimacy and Sex: The Psychology of Desire, Attachment and Emotional Connection

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The Psychology of ASPD: Empathy, Remorse, Attachment, Control and Conscience

The text distinguishes cognitive empathy, emotional empathy, remorse, attachment, intimacy, and accountability, explaining how someone may recognise another’s suffering without responding compassionately or changing harmful behavior. It cautions against diagnosing ASPD from relationship behavior, emphasizes sustained accountability over words, and affirms that understanding abuse does not require excusing it or identifying a diagnosis.… Read More The Psychology of ASPD: Empathy, Remorse, Attachment, Control and Conscience

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