ABSTRACT
The concluding chapter reflects on the contributions of the book as a multi-disciplinary dialogue on the complex interactions between coercion and trust. The conclusion observes that throughout the book, the authors have discussed the existence of power imbalances and the importance of these in relation to the differing interactions between coercion and trust. Power imbalances form a significant factor throughout all coercive relationships, whether this involves intimate relationships, domestic abuse, animal abuse, social media grooming, deception from mis- and disinformation, or coercive use of state power in governance. In these domains of society and more throughout day-to-day life, power disparities are clearly apparent. Trust, which always initiates from a positive expectation, is broken, betrayed, and violated by such coercive acts of power. We therefore conclude the book by noting that it is pertinent to be aware and conscious of the pervasiveness of coercion in our lives and the risks of trust being breached at numerous junctures of living in a globalised world with a multiplicity of challenges. This book is a scholarly endeavour towards the goal of raising awareness, policy propositions, and further research into the complex multiple links between coercion and trust.
