Domestic Abusers Forge 'Trauma Bonds' with Victims
Researchers have identified a tactical playbook used by male abusers to create a "trauma bond" with their victims, based on in-depth interviews with UK victims.
According to the study, published on 15 October 2025, abusers use a mix of intense affection and emotional cruelty, combined with tales of their own childhood trauma, to generate a deep psychological hold that can feel like an "addiction" to some victims.
Abusers "weaponise love" to engineer a "trauma bond": an attachment based in cycles of threat and relief that leaves victims desperate for approval.
Research Findings
- Male abusers use strategic systems of control to manufacture a "trauma bond" with their victims.
- This bond is intentionally created long before any visible marks of violence appear.
- Victims may experience this bond as an "addiction" due to the cycles of threat and relief.
Author's summary: Abusers create trauma bonds with victims through manipulation and control.