Brittle as Diamonds | Steven Universe

A/N: Abuse in this Story

♢ Conditioned ♢: Intimidation

In this chapter, White Diamond intimidates Yellow and Blue by demonstrating her power in front of them. If you managed to pick it up, her statement that "all defective Gems must be rid of" is actually a subtle threat to both Yellow and Blue; an insinuation that if they don't perform properly, they too will be shattered.

        Abusers will try to intimidate you by demonstrating their power in this sort of way (with other people or with you), and by threatening you to an undesirable and unreasonable(1) situation in order to get something from you (eg. information, money, items, behavioural improvement etc.).

❀ Trapped ❀: Prolonged Confinement

The heading says it all. Prolonged confinement or restraint (or even the threat of it) is a tool used by abusers to demonstrate their power or to get something from you (see above). This also amounts to neglect(2) — stashing a child away and forgetting about them for the time being.

❀ The Decision ❀: Emotional Manipulation and Gaslighting

No matter how many things your parents or family members do for you and how much care they show you, it isn't okay if they abuse you. This is something I've lived with, and it's called emotional manipulation. The abuser is guilt-tripping you (even if it's involuntary) and making you feel bad about doubting them; making you feel like you deserve the punishment they deal out to you.

        Blue Diamond also gaslights Pink in this chapter. Gaslighting is making you doubt your credibility, your memory and even your own sanity by repeatedly insisting you're wrong, repeatedly asking for your view over and over, suggesting you may have dreamt it, and telling you you're young, hormonal, mentally ill, delusional or even crazy all in order to undermine your own thought processes.

❖ Angrier ❖: Invalidating Feelings and Unfair/High Expectations

I don't think this is registered as an official form of abuse but it sure isn't right. Invalidating someone's feelings and forcing them to push their depression/anxiety/grief etc. down is cruel and unhealthy. Above that, expecting someone to continue with their work in grief — much less doubling their burden — is completely immoral.

✧♢ There For You ♢✧: Invalidating Feelings and Emotional Manipulation

See "❀ The Decision ❀" and "❖ Angrier ❖" (above).

Footnotes

1. "Unreasonable threats" — Telling a misbehaving child that they will have no dessert, no television, be sent to time-out etc. is not abuse. Threatening social isolation, confiscation of basic needs, starving etc. is abuse. Talk to someone if you're not sure about the extent of your situation.

        2. "Neglect" — I have realised this sounds a bit like Pearl's situation in "❀ Masquerade ❀". This isn't the case. Pink and Pearl are working together, and while Pearl is feeling neglected, she isn't being abused. The abused Pink is prone to overexcitement and tends to neglect others' needs, but she isn't malicious. My Pink eventually realises, when she gets what she wants, that she needs to look after those close to her, too, and tries to make amends (even though she doesn't admit this to the Gems).