The Law of Ice and [Cricketing].

Punishment through non-existence.

Prolonged and deliberate silence, popularly known as the "Law of Ice" and clinically as silent treatment, is an extremely aggressive form of psychological violence.

It is not a time-out to calm down after an argument, but a hostile strategy of withdrawing communication in order to punish, "tame" or subdue the victim.

The aggressor stops talking to her, avoids eye contact and acts as if the other person is invisible, denying her existence.

This behavior is usually triggered when the victim tries to set a limit or does something that displeases the controller.

The implicit and devastating message is: "If you don't behave the way I want you to behave, you cease to exist for me," forcing the victim into desperate submission to regain the bond.

The neurobiological impact of ostracism

The suffering caused by the Law of Ice is not metaphorical. Humans are mammals designed for social connection, and being ignored activates the anterior cingulate cortex in the brain, the same region that processes actual physical pain.

The victim experiences a visceral response of anguish, panic and ostracism.

In the face of this unbearable pain, the abused person often ends up apologizing for things he or she has not done or giving up his or her rights, as long as the abuser will speak to him or her again and stop the punishment.

In the long term, this teaches the victim that having one's own needs or expressing grievances is dangerous because it leads to abandonment, leading to total self-censorship.

Digital Micro-Aggression (Cricketing)

In the age of new technologies, this manipulation has evolved into forms such as Cricketing (from "crickets" sounding in the silence).

It consists of reading the victim's messages (leaving the "seen" or double check) and intentionally delaying the response for hours or days, and then replying as if nothing had happened.

It is not a forgetfulness, it is a power game where the aggressor shows that he has absolute control of the times and that the victim is just an option.

During the wait, the victim enters a cycle of anxiety and rumination ("did I say something wrong?", "is he with someone else?"), which is momentarily relieved when the answer arrives.

This anxiety-relief cycle (intermittent reinforcement) generates an addiction to the offender's attention and keeps the victim hypervigilant on the phone, eroding her security and autonomy.

Summary

The Law of Ice is a hostile withdrawal of communication to punish and subdue. By treating the victim as invisible, the aggressor forces a desperate submission to regain the bond.

Being ignored activates brain regions of physical pain, causing visceral distress. To stop this suffering, the victim often apologizes for things they did not do, giving up their rights and self-censoring.

In the digital realm, "Cricketing" or intentionally delaying responses generates anxiety and addiction. This intermittent reinforcement keeps the victim hypervigilant, demonstrating the aggressor's total control over the times.