{"id":32613,"date":"2023-08-29T09:49:45","date_gmt":"2023-08-29T08:49:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.thegrouphug.com\/?p=32613"},"modified":"2023-08-25T11:38:11","modified_gmt":"2023-08-25T10:38:11","slug":"what-is-gaslighting-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.thegrouphug.com\/2023\/08\/29\/what-is-gaslighting-2\/","title":{"rendered":"Is my partner gaslighting me?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
The term made headlines after finally being used in a family court judgment on 20 January 2022, giving it legitimacy and credibility while serving as a warning to abusers. (Thank you to Holland Family Law, Leicester for another great article!)<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It\u2019s been described as a \u2018milestone\u2019 moment across the legal profession, a moment when Mr Justice Stephen Cobb, the High Court judge who ruled on a recent case of a man accused of raping his partner and convincing her she had bipolar<\/a>, used the term gaslighting to define the man\u2019s behaviour.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The lawyer representing the woman in this case, Dr Charlotte Proudman, said: \u201cFor too long abusers have distorted victims\u2019 realities and there has been no legal word or concept to expose it. Finally, we have one: gaslighting. Everyone should remember this.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI see it happen many times in cases and it won\u2019t stop. I expect to see it used more because it single-handedly explains victims\u2019 experiences of abuse. The courts must address this. In this case, the judge also found that the partner raped and abused her and controlled her. It\u2019s a powerful judgement by a highly experienced judge and I welcome it,\u201d Dr Proudman added.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I want to move to a new area and start again with my child<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n The use of the term is so significant because it\u2019s the first time it has ever been used in a case of domestic abuse, and gives legitimacy and credibility to those suffering abuse.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The case in question was shocking, with the accused convincing his partner that she had bipolar, while also raping her and controlling her. What\u2019s more horrifying is that the accused is a mental health care worker.<\/p>\n\n\n\nWhy is the use of the term gaslighting in the family courts so significant?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n