Overview:
Coercion Syndrome is a trauma-informed psychological framework designed to identify and explain the layered, often invisible dynamics of coercive environments. It outlines how power structures—interpersonal, institutional, or systemic – can manipulate cognition, perception, and emotional regulation over time, often without overt violence.
Core Premise:
Coercion is not a single act—it is a sustained process. Through a combination of fear induction, inconsistency, reward-withholding, gaslighting, and perceived dependency, individuals become psychologically conditioned to remain in harmful environments. Coercion Syndrome gives name and structure to this process.
Research Orientation:
The framework synthesizes elements from:
Trauma bonding
Learned helplessness
Cognitive dissonance
Stockholm Syndrome
Complex PTSD
Systems theory
But departs from them by focusing on how coercion begins, how it is sustained cognitively, and why it becomes internalized, even long after the coercive force is gone.
Applications:
Coercion Syndrome can be applied in:
- Clinical psychology and trauma treatment
- Forensic and victimology analysis
- Political, institutional, and medical power dynamics
- Educational settings for training therapists, researchers, and advocates
This framework is currently under active development through the Cognitura method at Noetic Loop Industries and forms the backbone of several assessment and intervention tools now in early-stage design.
Commercial Use Statement:
Coercion Syndrome is currently used in educational and clinical contexts as part of proprietary assessment tools, training workshops, and written materials offered by Noetic Loop Institute. These materials are available in digital and print formats and are designed for use by mental health professionals, researchers, and educational institutions.