Board Thread:Speculation House/@comment-31953669-20180124124137/@comment-26397825-20180305015242

Salem literally said that she had to make it fear her though when she was learning to control it. From the transcript of "Of Runaways and Stowaways":

Salem: Do you feel it? Don't fight it, girl. It can sense your trepidation. You must make it dread you.

It pretty much implies that if she didn't make it fear her and do as she says, it would either reject her or seriously fuck her up.