BROWSE HOW TOs

How to Deal With Blackmail

By eHow Relationships & Family Editor

Rate: (3 Ratings)

When you think of blackmail most people think of ransom notes and corporate strong-arming, but the far more common form of blackmail is emotional. This happens when someone you are involved with attempts to influence, manipulate or control you, all the while the blackmailer argues that they're only doing this for the good of the other person.

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Instructions

Difficulty: Moderate

Step1

Understand the signs of being an emotional blackmailer. Maybe the victim is being dominated or intimidated. Sometimes unreasonable demands are put on the person who is the victim of blackmail and they're subjected to verbal abuse or even cruel laughter to try and hurt them. Often the blackmailer has unpredictable mood changes.

Step2

Recognize the effects of blackmail exhibited by the victim. They're often unusually shy, uneasy or lonely. They can become defensive when someone tries to become close or friendly. They fear criticism, feel inadequate, have low-self esteem and avoid social contacts. They may also overreact to any negative opinions or comments about them or their life. Remember that children who have parents who are involved in emotional blackmail may also exhibit these signs.

Step3

Identify actions that are considered to be blackmail. They may withhold information, make light of the situation, try to keep the other from reaching their goals and make them believe they cannot do it. Belittling the other's achievements and feelings or perception of the situation is also common for someone who is blackmailing another.

Step4

Realize that successful professionals who are in the business of helping people are not immune to becoming an emotional blackmailer. They span all levels of income, states and races and affect both males and females. You can't look at someone and know they're an emotional blackmailer or have the potential to be one.

Step5

Seek help if you are a victim of emotional blackmail or if you suspect that someone you love is involved in a relationship where they are being blackmailed or may even be the person causing the trauma. Interventions by professionals may be necessary to gain the abuser's attention and patience is essential when dealing with all parties involved.

Comments

vinayass said

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on 10/1/2008 i'm a 20 yr gal.there is a person whom im in love with.. and we had physical relation too.. (which i shudnt have done). i aspire to become a research scientist but the guy's family says they wont allow me to study after my undergrad degree. my family wants me to finish all my studies nd then think about marriage. i am from an orthodox family nd he is of different caste.. my family says i need to just forget them if i wanna go with him, which i cant do.. and i also wanna study further. but this guy is blackmailing me tht he will send pictures nd videos to my family.. my famly loves me so much nd if they find this out there is nothing worse tht can happen to me. i want to sort this problem without ppl knowing abt it. pls help

zestforart said

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on 7/28/2008 This article is needed, as the situation is more common than you might expect. In a relationship in which verbal abuse exists, emotional blackmail, and not necessarily for money, is common. Intimate terrorism is the name for what a domestic partner does in the privacy of their relationship to try to make the other partner submit to various selfish demands, or just to keep that partner under the thumb of the blackmail. It seems bizarre that all this should take place under the supposed facade (to outsiders) of "love." For more information consult your YWCA hotline, a fount of knowledge regarding abuse, both physical and nonphysical.

Justiceman said

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on 3/2/2008 one other very important thing should be added, that is--call in the police. i was once threatened by an apparently pretentious, arrogant Canadian writer on allegations of plagiarism. i even tried to explain that i got his material from tertiary sources and that i never ever had any intention of copyright infringement in the first place. he never even gave me a chance to explain. instead he kept on threatening me and did most of the things that were featured in this article. i had no other option but to report him to the police. however it was a very traumatic experience even though i do not even live in north america. i realised the intentions of this pathetic guy and his colleagues at their website. they were pressuring me in order to admit their allegations so that they would then have an open road to extract all sorts of compensation. DO NOT under any circumstance give in ... and if