scholarly journals The Criminalisation of Coercive Control: The Power of Law?

2019 ◽  
Vol 8 (4) ◽  
pp. 94-108
Author(s):  
Sandra Walklate ◽  
Kate Fitz-Gibbon
Keyword(s):  
Intimate Partner Violence ◽  
Partner Violence ◽  
Intimate Partner ◽  
Unintended Consequences ◽  
Coercive Control ◽  
Making Sense ◽  
Legal Context ◽  
The Everyday ◽  
Per Se ◽  
Do So

Making sense of intimate partner violence has long been seen through the lens of coercive control. However, despite the longstanding presence of this concept, it is only in recent years that efforts have been made to recognise coercive control within the legal context. This article examines the extent to which the law per se has the power, or indeed the capacity, to respond to what is known about coercive control. To do so, it charts the varied ways in which coercive control has entered legal discourse in different jurisdictions and maps these efforts onto what is evidenced about the nature and extent of coercive control in everyday life. This article then places the legal and the everyday side by side and considers the unintended consequences of ‘coercive control creep’. In conclusion, it is suggested that the criminalisation of coercive control only serves to fail those it is intended to protect.

Is more law the answer? Seeking justice for victims of intimate partner violence through the reform of legal categories

2017 ◽  
Vol 18 (1) ◽  
pp. 115-131 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sandra Walklate ◽  
Kate Fitz-Gibbon ◽  
Jude McCulloch
Keyword(s):  
Intimate Partner Violence ◽  
Women Victims ◽  
Partner Violence ◽  
Intimate Partner ◽  
Unintended Consequences ◽  
Coercive Control ◽  
Legal Responses ◽  
Law And Justice ◽  
Legal Interventions ◽  
Do So

In 2015 in England and Wales a new offence of controlling or coercive behaviour was introduced with the aim of improving legal responses to intimate partner violence. Recognizing the historical limits of legal interventions in this area, this article examines the efficacy of coercive control as a conceptual device for improving access to law and justice outcomes for women victims. To do so, it considers the problems and possibilities of translating a concept generated from clinical practice into legal practice alongside an exploration of the potential unintended consequences of this new offence. The gendered analysis undertaken here reveals the limitations of framing women’s experiences as ‘coercive control’ in law and concludes that, in the case of coercive control, more law is not the answer to improving responses to intimate partner violence.

scholarly journals COVID‐19 lockdowns, intimate partner violence and coercive control

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ciara Smyth ◽  
Patricia Cullen ◽  
Jan Breckenridge ◽  
Natasha Cortis ◽  
kylie valentine
Keyword(s):  
Intimate Partner Violence ◽  
Partner Violence ◽  
Intimate Partner ◽  
Coercive Control

scholarly journals Coercive control in intimate partner violence: Relationship with women’s experience of violence, use of violence, and danger.

2018 ◽  
Vol 8 (5) ◽  
pp. 596-604 ◽  
Author(s):  
Melissa E. Dichter ◽  
Kristie A. Thomas ◽  
Paul Crits-Christoph ◽  
Shannon N. Ogden ◽  
Karin V. Rhodes
Keyword(s):  
Intimate Partner Violence ◽  
Partner Violence ◽  
Intimate Partner ◽  
Coercive Control ◽  
Women's Experience

Women and Men’s Use of Coercive Control in Intimate Partner Violence

2011 ◽  
Vol 26 (2) ◽  
pp. 208-217 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kirsten Robertson ◽  
Tamar Murachver
Keyword(s):  
Intimate Partner Violence ◽  
Partner Violence ◽  
Intimate Partner ◽  
Coercive Control ◽  
Men And Women ◽  
Violent Relationships ◽  
Three Samples ◽  
Conflict Tactics ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Controlling Behaviors

This study examined the relationship between coercive control and intimate partner violence (IPV) for men and women and for targets and perpetrators. One hundred and seventy-two participants (85 men, 87 women) recruited from three samples reported on their own and their partner’s behavior. IPV was measured using the Revised Conflict Tactics Scale (CTS2). Coercive control was measured using modified items from the Psychological Maltreatment of Women Inventory (PMWI). Coercive control was associated with IPV, and this relationship was similar for men and women across the three samples. In fact, coercive control was predominantly reciprocal in nature, with women and men reporting both receiving and perpetrating controlling behaviors. Overall, coercive controlling behaviors were characteristic of individuals within violent relationships, regardless of their physical abuse status. The experience of violence, rather than gender, was the best predictor of coercive control.

The Involvement of Children in Postseparation Intimate Partner Violence in Italy: A Strategy to Maintain Coercive Control?

Affilia ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 34 (4) ◽  
pp. 481-497
Author(s):  
Mariachiara Feresin ◽  
Federica Bastiani ◽  
Lucia Beltramini ◽  
Patrizia Romito
Keyword(s):  
Intimate Partner Violence ◽  
Qualitative Study ◽  
Partner Violence ◽  
Intimate Partner ◽  
Coercive Control ◽  
Multimethod Research ◽  
Complex Design ◽  
Qualitative Part ◽  
Depth Interviews

Violence against women often continues after couples separate. Although the involvement of children in intimate partner violence is known, no study has investigated the role of children in postseparation violence in southern Europe. The aim of this study was to analyze male perpetrators’ strategies to maintain control over the woman after couples separate and the involvement of children in this process. We designed a multimethod research with a sample of women attending five anti-violence centers in Italy: In the quantitative part, women were interviewed with a questionnaire ( N = 151) at baseline and followed up 18 months later ( N = 91); in the qualitative part, in-depth interviews were carried out with women ( N = 13) attending the same centers. Results showed that women experienced high levels of violence and that children were deeply involved. When women with children were no longer living with the violence perpetrator, threats, violence, manipulation, and controlling behaviors occurred during father–child contacts: 78.9% of women in the longitudinal survey and all women in the qualitative study reported at least one of these unsettling behaviors. The qualitative study allowed for discovering some specific perpetrator strategies. Making the woman feel guilty, threatening, denigrating, and impoverishing her; preventing her from living a normal life; and trying to destroy the mother–child bond were key elements of a complex design aimed at maintaining coercive control over the ex-partner. Results from this multimethod study provided a deeper understanding of the mechanisms of coercive control and postseparation violence and how perpetrators use children to fulfill their aims.

scholarly journals Effectiveness of ICT-based intimate partner violence interventions: a systematic review

2020 ◽  
Vol 20 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Christo El Morr ◽  
Manpreet Layal
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Systematic Review ◽  
Intimate Partner Violence ◽  
Information And Communication Technologies ◽  
Partner Violence ◽  
Intimate Partner ◽  
Unintended Consequences ◽  
Long Term Effects ◽  
Middle Income ◽  
Global Pandemic

Abstract Background Intimate Partner Violence is a “global pandemic”. Meanwhile, information and communication technologies (ICT), such as the internet, mobile phones, and smartphones, are spreading worldwide, including in low- and middle-income countries. We reviewed the available evidence on the use of ICT-based interventions to address intimate partner violence (IPV), evaluating the effectiveness, acceptability, and suitability of ICT for addressing different aspects of the problem (e.g., awareness, screening, prevention, treatment, mental health). Methods We conducted a systematic review, following PRISMA guidelines, using the following databases: PubMed, PsycINFO, and Web of Science. Key search terms included women, violence, domestic violence, intimate partner violence, information, communication technology, ICT, technology, email, mobile, phone, digital, ehealth, web, computer, online, and computerized. Only articles written in English were included. Results Twenty-five studies addressing screening and disclosure, IPV prevention, ICT suitability, support and women’s mental health were identified. The evidence reviewed suggests that ICT-based interventions were effective mainly in screening, disclosure, and prevention. However, there is a lack of homogeneity among the studies’ outcome measurements and the sample sizes, the control groups used (if any), the type of interventions, and the study recruitment space. Questions addressing safety, equity, and the unintended consequences of the use of ICT in IPV programming are virtually non-existent. Conclusions There is a clear need to develop women-centered ICT design when programming for IPV. Our study showed only one study that formally addressed software usability. The need for more research to address safety, equity, and the unintended consequences of the use of ICT in IPV programming is paramount. Studies addressing long term effects are also needed.

scholarly journals Intimate Partner Violence Experiences of Sexual and Gender Minority Adolescents and Young Adults Assigned Female at Birth

2019 ◽  
Vol 43 (2) ◽  
pp. 232-249 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sarah W. Whitton ◽  
Christina Dyar ◽  
Brian Mustanski ◽  
Michael E. Newcomb
Keyword(s):  
Intimate Partner Violence ◽  
Sexual Minority ◽  
Partner Violence ◽  
Intimate Partner ◽  
Minority Youth ◽  
Coercive Control ◽  
Gender Minority ◽  
Sexual And Gender Minority ◽  
And Gender ◽  
Cyber Abuse

Sexual and gender minority youth, especially those assigned female at birth, are at risk for intimate partner violence (IPV) due to minority stressors. With a sample of 352 sexual and gender minority youth assigned female at birth (ages 16–32), we aimed to describe IPV in this population, including the prevalence, directionality, frequency, co-occurrence, and demographic correlates of various IPV types. Rates of past-6-month IPV were high, with victimization and perpetration of minor psychological IPV most common (64–70%); followed by severe psychological, minor physical, and coercive control (21–33%); and severe physical and sexual IPV (10–15%). For cyber abuse and IPV tactics leveraging anti-sexual minority stigma, victimization (12.5% and 14.8%, respectively) was more common than perpetration (8% and 5.7%, respectively). Most IPV was bidirectional and occurred 1–2 times in 6 months, although the frequency varied considerably. Latent class analyses revealed that half of the participants reported no or minimal IPV; one-third experienced multiple forms of psychological IPV (including coercive control); and 10–15% reported psychological, physical, sexual, and cyber abuse. Racial minority youth had higher rates of most IPV types than White participants. We hope study findings will inform policies and interventions to prevent IPV among gender and sexual minority youth assigned female at birth.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document