ICSA International Conference 2026​

DATE
1-4 July 2026

LOCATION
Hilton Bayfront, San Diego, USA

Expanding the scope of coercive control: Understanding abusive dynamics and their impacts across interpersonal, institutional, and cultic contexts

In an era marked by increasing polarization, disinformation, and organized manipulation, understanding and protecting against coercion is more relevant than ever. Coercive control refers to a sustained pattern of manipulative and abusive practices designed to subjugate individuals, often resulting in serious consequences for their well-being. While the mechanisms of abuse and resulting harm differ in form and social context, there are striking parallels across abusive intimate relationships, gangs, sexual exploitation and trafficking networks, ideological radicalization, and, of course, cultic environments. Despite their prevalence, research and evidence-based knowledge of these phenomena remain relatively underdeveloped.

The 2026 ICSA International Conference invites interdisciplinary collaboration and ethical dialogue among professionals and researchers–across psychology, education, academia, and law–as well as individuals with lived experience, to examine these frameworks within a broader scope. Through this exchange, the conference seeks to deepen understanding, advance survivor-informed approaches, and strengthen prevention, recovery, and policy responses to coercive control in all its forms.

Click HERE for more information.