Phase 2: Overt Violence and Dominance

The transition to paralysis and confusion

Once the victim is emotionally "captured," the relationship enters the second phase: the overt violence or dominance phase. The goal is no longer to seduce, but to paralyze the other through fear and doubt.

The aggressor begins to withdraw affection abruptly and to deploy hostile behaviors, installing a state of permanent anxiety.

Through distorted communication, full of sarcasm, silences and lies, he plunges the victim into a fog of confusion (psychological fog) that prevents him from reacting or thinking clearly.

The victim progressively loses confidence in his or her own judgment and, in severe cases, comes to experience a dissolution of his or her identity, becoming a shadow of who he or she was, totally focused on appeasing the tormentor to avoid conflict.

The victim as enemy and object of hatred

When the victim finally becomes aware of the aggression or tries to recover some of his autonomy, the dynamics change drastically.

For the narcissistic pervert, any attempt at independence on the part of the other is seen as an intolerable betrayal.

The victim ceases to be an object of submission and becomes a rival to be beaten down, unleashing the aggressor's open hatred.

If the abuser feels that his prey is escaping him, he panics and intensifies his violence in order to re-establish control.

A "reciprocal phobia" sets in: the aggressor feels irritation at the mere sight of the victim, and the presence of the aggressor provokes terror in the victim.

At this point, the attacks become more direct, with low blows and cruel humiliations aimed at destroying the remaining self-esteem.

Provocation and blame reversal

A recurring tactic in this phase is the incitement to react.

The aggressor, hiding behind an armor of coldness, deliberately provokes the victim in order to make her explode emotionally. His desire is to obtain a conflictual exchange in which he maintains control.

If he succeeds in making the victim scream, cry or lose her temper - preferably in front of third parties - he will have achieved his goal: to label her as the "crazy", "hysterical" or "aggressive" one in the relationship.

In this way, the victim is cornered in a double bind: if she remains silent, the destruction continues; if she reacts, she is held responsible for the conflict, reinforcing the aggressor's narrative that she is the unstable one and he is the poor victim who must put up with her.

Summary

Once the victim is captured, the dominance phase begins to paralyze her through fear. The aggressor abruptly withdraws affection, installs mental confusion and progressively annuls her identity.

Any attempt at autonomy turns the victim into a rival to be defeated. The aggressor intensifies his violence and cruel humiliations to re-establish control in the panic of losing his power.

The abuser uses cold provocation to make the victim explode emotionally. He thus manages to blame her for the conflict, labeling her as "crazy" or aggressive, while he victimizes himself to justify his abuse.