The Fact
A 2025 mixed-methods systematic review identified 96 academic records discussing gaslighting in gender-based violence. The review grouped gaslighting tactics into cognitive and perceptual manipulation, emotional and psychological abuse, power dynamics and control, and additional manipulation tactics. Reported survivor outcomes included disruptions to perception and memory, emotional distress, and social isolation.
What This Means
Gaslighting is broader than a single lie. Across the literature reviewed, it appears as a patterned attempt to influence what a person believes about their own perceptions while increasing control.
Sources
- Jewels Adair, “Defining Gaslighting in Gender-Based Violence: A Mixed-Methods Systematic Review,” Trauma, Violence, & Abuse, 2025.