Coercive Control is a new offence. Under the Serious Crime Act 2015, the new offence closes the gap in the law around patterns of controlling or coercive behaviours in an ongoing relationship between intimate partners or family members.
Coercive Control is when someone in a relationship is continuously controlling to the person they are in a relationship with. Threats and intimidation are used in order to increase the control over a person, isolate them from their support networks, frighten and control their everyday behaviour.
It is considered to be one of the most dangerous risk factors within domestic abuse.
Coercive control can include:
– Isolating a person from their friends and family
– Taking control over aspects of their everyday life, such as where they go, who they can see, what to wear and when they can sleep
– Enforcing rules and activity which humiliate, degrade or dehumanise
– Financial abuse including control of finances
– Threats of violence, threats to take children away or threats to hurt pets if the person does not do as their partner tell them
– Monitoring a person’s activities, including their communication on the phone or internet
– Repeatedly putting a person down and making them feel worthless
(This list is not exhaustive)
If you are concerned you, or someone you know, is experiencing coercive control, please contact Gloucestershire Domestic Abuse Support Service (GDASS) on 0845 602 9035.
In an emergency, please call the police on 999.
