Blackmail is a form of exploitation and can involve emotional abuse.
It is an act of coercion, often criminal, using the threat of revealing or publicising either substantially true or false, and often damaging, information about a person, to the public, family members, or associates unless certain demands are met.
It may involve using threats of physical or emotional harm, or of criminal prosecution, against the victim or someone close to the victim. It is normally carried out for personal gain – most commonly of position, money (a type of financial abuse), or property.