Understanding Coercive Control in Relationships

Coercive control refers to actions or patterns of actions, including threats, humiliation, intimidation, or other forms of abuse, aimed at harming, punishing, or instilling fear in a victim.

According to the Home Office (2013), coercive control involves a deliberate pattern of behavior over time, used by one individual to exert power, control, or dominance over another.

This form of domestic abuse may include physical violence but is fundamentally psychological. It is intentional and can be inflicted on multiple individuals.

The perpetrator’s goal is to isolate their victim from any sources of support, making the victim entirely dependent on them.

This leads to pervasive fear affecting every aspect of the victim's life. They lose their freedom and ability to act, and their trust in themselves, others, and situations diminishes. The perpetrator creates an artificial environment of confusion, contradiction, and fear.

Empowering survivors through awareness.

Survivor

"

"