In this show, Dr. Silberg will explain how some people who are domestic abusers can use the children in a form of domestic violence by proxy, hoping to hurt their ex, by physically, sexually, or emotionally by abusing the children. Many domestic violence perpetrators threaten their spouses by using their children as pawns, convincing their partners that will never see their children again if they leave the marriage. As we explore this dynamic, Dr. Silberg will explain how courts sometimes misunderstand the way that battered women present in court. We will process the difference between the normal badmouthing that occurs in any divorce situation and the lethal emotional abuse found in dv by proxy. The notion of parental alienation will be dissected and explained, and we will talk about high conflict divorce and why that is often a misnomer. We will also identify where parents can get help when their children are subjected to this form of trauma.