Is Coercive Control a Form of Violence?
Posted: April 13, 2023
Is coercive control a form of violence? It is commonly described by victim-survivors as the worst form of abuse they experience, and can have more immediate and ongoing impact than physical forms of violence. Coercive control is also a predictor of severe physical violence and homicide.
What counts as coercive control? Coercive control is an act or a pattern of acts of assault, threats, humiliation and intimidation or other abuse that is used to harm, punish, or frighten their victim. Coercive control is a pattern of violent behaviour that seeks to take away a person's freedom and to strip away their sense of self.
The following types of behaviour are common examples of coercive control:
Isolating you from your friends and family. controlling how much money you have and how you spend it. monitoring your activities and your movements. repeatedly putting you down, calling you names or telling you that you are worthless.
Controlling behaviour is a range of acts designed to make a person subordinate and/or dependent by isolating them from sources of support, exploiting their resources and capacities for personal gain, depriving them of the means needed for independence, resistance and escape and regulating their everyday behaviour. [Controlling or Coercive Behaviour].