Located in western Massachusetts, UMass Amherst is the flagship campus of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts' five-campus University of Massachusetts system. UMass Amherst is a nationally recognized teaching and research institution with a current enrollment of about 28,500 students.

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Guest columnist Lisa Aronson Fontes: Let all people be free — including at home

Twice Silenced: The Underreporting of Child Sexual Abuse in Orthodox Jewish Communities

Invisible Chains: Overcoming Coercive Control in Your Intimate Relationship

Lisa Fontes is a national and international leader in the fields of child abuse, violence against women, and intimate partner violence, or coercive control, particularly where cultural issues are relevant.

Her comments are frequently sought by media organizations to discuss issues ranging from the sexual abuse of children to intimate partner violence

Fontes is the author of the books: Invisible Chains: Overcoming Coercive Control in Your Intimate Relationship, Interviewing Clients Across Cultures, and Child Abuse and Culture. Her books have sold over 50,000 copies, and been translated into Spanish, Korean, Japanese, and two forms of Chinese.

Intimate Partner Violence

Coercive Control

Child Sexual Abuse

Domestic Violence (Partner and Victim)

Child Abuse

Violence Against Women

UMass Amherst Faculty Profile

Personal Website

Amazon Author Page

ResearchGate Citations

Massachusetts lawmakers unanimously vote to criminalize revenge porn

Fears of violence on Mass. campuses are silencing many on Israel-Hamas war

California Court Grants Restraining Order Based on Coercive Control

'They Knew': Legal Battle Over a Los Gatos Elementary School's Failure to Prevent Sexual Abuse Could Go to Trial

Mass. lawmakers consider expanding definition of domestic abuse to include financial and mental abuse

Columnist Carrie N. Baker: Invisible abuse: Ending coercive control in intimate relationships

Domestic abuse isn’t always physical in nature

Senior Lecturer II, UWW Interdisciplinary Studies

Dr. Lisa Fontes PhD, Faculty at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, Expert Witness, and Author of "Invisible Chains" Overcoming Coercive Control Your Intimate Partner testified at the 9.12.2023 Massachusetts Legislative hearing.

Lisa testifies that it is night and day working in a court with Coercive Control laws. She has served as an expert witness in about 50 family court cases on coercive control in 15 states. 

"I know, and every advocate, survivor and scholar in this courtroom knows that willfully dominating a partner, taking away their money, degrading and terrifying them is domestic violence."

"We need House Bill 1547, so every coercive controller survivor will not have to repeat this difficult, expensive, and uncertain process which also ties up the courts."

In a current Massachusetts case, Dr. Fontes protects the identity of the mother, naming her Carla.  Dr. Fontes stated the husband's goal 
"is to bankrupt and control Carla" and she reinforces this is why the Commonwealth of Massachusetts needs House Bill 1399 to protect against Abusive Litigation.

Dr. Fontes explains how the California court system includes coercive control as domestic violence.  She references a case and shares the judgement:  "A similar case in California, where they do have coercive control law, the judge immediately understood that control and abuse is domestic violence and that it harms children!  It is in the statue."

"The judge ruled that the husband's behavior impeded his wife's right to freedom of thought, action, and decision. The husband's behavior was domestic violence because it made his wife unfree" 

"We also know that 20% of domestic homicides, the killing was the first act of physical violence, but coercive control was present."

"Please pass House Bills 1547 and 1399 to make sure domestic violence victims in the commonwealth are protected from losing everything including their children, their freedom, and their lives to coercive controlling domestic abusers. 

Dr. Fontes is the 3rd testimony of 35 that I will be posting over the next 4 weeks.  The community, the court systems, the spouses, the lawyers, the judges, the media, and the children need to be educated so the Commonwealth of Massachusetts (and many other states) understands the importance of: 

H.1399 / S.1079 Abusive Litigation and 
H.1547 / S.1077 Domestic Violence Coercive Control 
because these bills will save lives.

Dr. Lisa Fontes PhD, Author, and Expert Witness Testifies on Coercive Control  &amp; Abusive Litigation

#coercivecontrol #domesticviolence #codependency 

In this episode, we're honored to have Dr. Lisa Fontes as our special guest. Dr. Fontes is a renowned expert witness in legal cases related to child abuse and intimate partner violence, with a focus on cultural considerations. With a wealth of experience, her detailed reports have been lauded by attorneys for their clarity and precision.

Born and raised in New York City, Dr. Fontes' journey has taken her across the globe, shedding light on topics from child sexual abuse to intimate partner violence. As a psychotherapist, researcher, and activist, she's dedicated to bridging gaps in services for immigrant and cultural minority clients, particularly within communities of color affected by violence.

Tune in as we delve into the critical issues of domestic violence, coercive control, and family law, exploring the vital role cultural awareness plays in these contexts. With over 50,000 copies sold and translations into multiple languages, Dr. Fontes' books have become essential resources in this field. Join us for an insightful conversation that promises to enrich your understanding of these crucial matters.

Don't miss this enlightening discussion – hit that play button now and join us in gaining valuable insights from Dr. Fontes' expertise! 

For help with your Arizona family law issue, or to simply get more information, go to http://mymodernlaw.com

Download The Modern Divorce Podcast on Spotify:
https://open.spotify.com/show/4vV7EzA80uzipzIXMCHhQ4

Download The Modern Divorce Podcast on Apple Podcasts:
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/modern-divorce-the-do-over-for-a-better-you/id1535875718

Empowering Insights on Domestic Violence &amp; Coercive Control | Expert Guest Dr. Lisa Fontes

Presented by Lisa Aronson Fontes, PhD 

We can better address and eliminate intimate partner violence if we see the problem as an ongoing crime of control—more like a long-term hostage situation than a series of domestic violence assaults. With original drawings and compelling stories, this presentation explains the tactics of coercive control including isolation, intimidation, monitoring, gaslighting, stalking and physical violence. Some abusers use coercive control without physical violence—which can be especially confusing for victims and survivors.

Learning Objectives:
1) Learn the tactics of coercive control in intimate relationships.
2) Understand how coercive control shapes a victim's behavior.
3) Improve your ability to detect and intervene in situations of coercive control and intimate partner violence.

Download Transcript: https://docs.google.com/document/d/139E8olRrDfLz1uylUswYLh_KM7DoZ36KTjetHGvyytQ/edit?usp=sharing

Invisible Chains: From Domestic Violence to Coercive Control

Domestic abusers slip drugs to their intimate partners to control, sexually assault, disable and discredit them. Sometimes they use street drugs and sometimes they use pharmaceuticals.

In this webinar you’ll learn:

How this drugging happens and its effects
Why this powerful form of abuse is so hidden from sight
How to ask about intimate partner drugging
What kinds of help are available
How we can prevent further abuse of this kind

Presented by Lisa Aronson Fontes, PhD 
Featuring Diana Faugno, MSN, RN, CPN, SANE-A, SANE-P, FAAFS, DF-IAFN, DF-AFN 

Download the transcript
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1wlmw94yH5mQaJtKwi1Dr2C5Kk-uYurQqT7ZABlyhUJ4/edit

For questions or to receive a certificate of attendance, please email info@domesticshelters.org

When Abusers Drug an Intimate Partner

Lisa Aronson Fontes, Ph.D., Senior Lecturer at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, discusses a form of partner abuse called Coercive Control, from her new book:  Invisible Chains: Overcoming Coercive Control in Your Intimate Relationship. 

To purchase go to: http://www.guilford.com/books/Invisible-Chains/Lisa-Aronson-Fontes/9781462520244

What Is Coercive Control?

Lisa Aronson Fontes, Ph.D., Senior Lecturer at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, discusses a form of partner abuse called Coercive Control and her new book:  Invisible Chains: Overcoming Coercive Control in Your Intimate Relationship. 
To purchase go to: http://www.guilford.com/books/Invisible-Chains/Lisa-Aronson-Fontes/9781462520244

Invisible Chains - Overcoming Coercive Control in Your Intimate Relationship

Lisa Aronson Fontes, Ph.D, Senior Lecturer at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, gives tips on how to free yourself from a controlling relationship.These ideas are from her new book:  Invisible Chains: Overcoming Coercive Control in Your Intimate Relationship. 
To purchase go to: http://www.guilford.com/books/Invisible-Chains/Lisa-Aronson-Fontes/9781462520244

Getting Free From A Coercive Control Relationship

Lisa Aronson Fontes, Ph.D., Senior Lecturer at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, discusses how to help yourself or someone you know get free from a controlling relationship using tips from her new book, Invisible Chains: Overcoming Coercive Control in Your Intimate Relationship
To purchase go to: http://www.guilford.com/books/Invisible-Chains/Lisa-Aronson-Fontes/9781462520244

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