Coercive Control

Comparing the United States to Other Countries

We’ve known for years that our legal system is not set up to protect victims of abuse and coercive control. In fact, there are so many issues in the legal arena women continue to face, despite the prevalence of this behavior. 

Unfortunately, in other countries, they are doing a much better job with information provided to lawyers and court appointed workers to help women and children navigate coercive control.

Let’s do an unpack on this to see what we can learn.

Australian Attorney General’s Data Sheets

The Australian government put together a few data sheets to address the ever growing problem of coercive control. These documents are to help victims and people helpers recognize the signs of coercive control.

Here’s a quick look at some of the points on just the one doc we hyperlinked above.

• Addresses the physical and non-physical presentations of coercive control
• Addresses the variability of severity
• Addresses the variability of areas of abuse (emotional, spiritual, social, financial, etc.)
• Addresses victim impact (confidence, isolation, fear, etc.)
• Address post-separation/divorce coercive control
• Addresses the statistical point that coercive control is mostly used by men against their wives (women).

Pretty impressive! All of this in a one-page doc.

In the United States

In the US, we have several resources we can turn to for help, but the effectiveness of these resources is still in question (according to the grounded research we take at Center for Peace).

Womenlaw.org has a page that is fairly thorough, providing basic information and types. What is discouraging about this page is that answer to the section on ‘ending coercive control’. Because coercive control, including emotional and psychological abuse is not against the law, and due to the fact that it is often difficult to recognize the behaviors unless they become harassing or life threatening, it makes us question the point of a page of this sort in the states.

Asking Google

We asked Google for a general overview of what parts of the world have laws against coercive control. Here’s what we learned.

• It is a criminal offense, recognized as domestic abuse in the UK, Ireland, Australia and Canada. (Some US states, though we know this is not as effective as it implies).
• UK has legally addressed coercive control since 2015, with it being a criminal act in Ireland
• In Australia it is just more recently legally recognized (2024-25).
• Canada is actively developing their criminal code for coercive control.
• In the US, Hawaii, Connecticut and California have some legal definitions for domestic abuse,

What Does the NIH Say

The NIH (The National Library of Medicine) has some literature with meta-analysis (multi-literature reviews) on the topic. Noting that it is often researched as a type of ‘Intimate Partner Violence(IPV). However, the purpose of this type of literature is to address the potential for mental health outcomes, more than legal impacts. 

In our research, it is not uncommon to read what we term as “blurred lines” with statements such as, “it can be unclear whether an abusive behavior occurs in the context of coercive control” (April 2023). An absolute assumption should not be made of this single statement, however, it does give us a heads up to the fact that we need to look closely at the language with the literature to ensure that what is being looked at is an accurate representation of the lived experiences of the victims we work with.

Research papers can be helpful in learning more about the human condition, however, we must also recognize that there are biases in the studies, and drivers from those who pay for and direct the research that may not align with the need women have who are living in these difficult and life-altering (sometimes life threatening) conditions.

Control vs. Coercion

Evan Stark, one of the leading authorities on the topic of coercive control established the following differences in the behavior.

Controlling Behaviors – can be seen in a variety of behaviors designed to subordinate or isolate another from their source of support. It may be an exploitation of their resources or their capacities through deprivation of means needed for autonomy, resistance and even escape, or in being able to navigate their everyday lives.

Coercive Behavior – can be seen as the acts or patterns of assault, threats, humiliation, intimidation or other abuses that harm, punish or frighten the victim.

These two descriptors look more like the what and the how, from our vantage point. However executed, coercive control may vary in its severity. It is nonetheless, an egregious form of oppression upon individuals who are often not in a position to easily get to safety.

A Bigger Issue for Women

Often victims of coercive control are either not believed or worse are made to feel (or be falsely accused of being) mentally unwell. The reality is, coercive control is easily hidden and more easily disguised by blame-shifting.

Of those who use coercive control, regardless of severity or duration, almost no one goes to jail. No crimes are assessed and addressed. The abuse, in the plethora of forms, is often invisible. Victims are accused of exaggeration of their experience, or are forced to minimize the abuse to avoid further retaliation by the perpetrator.

Additionally, most men who perpetrate coercive control do so with the ease of cognitive and social disconnection from the violent impact of the abuse. They support one another in their crimes against women, minimizing the offenses as ‘not that bad’ and that they are ‘good guys.’  

The people of our current society, and the various institutions that should be working to stop this ability are either openly supporting or maintaining tacit approval through the mutualizing, victim-blaming and Switzerlanding of the problem.

Shining Light on the Matter

A brief look at a few statistics shows that women have been seeking help for this for years. 

• 2002 – 34% of women reporting coercion by spouse
• 1999 – 40-50% of abused women reporting being raped
• 2005 – 68% of women seeking protection orders reported rape
• 2007 – 86% of women reporting forced sex attempted to leave/left

The problem we see here is that women have to get to the point where there is rape or forced sex before they can get the attention of legal helpers.

How Men Accomplish Their Agenda of Coercive Control

Here are just a few ways men are able to maintain coercive control effectively to their ends.

• Take away her money/access to shared money
• Monitor her time/make demands of her time
• Prevent her from obtaining medical care
• Prevent her from finishing her schooling
• Monitor or limit socializing with family and friends
• Prevent/restrict access to a vehicle
• Threaten children
• Prevents ability to work
• Constant acts that lead to great distress mental or physical distress

Men do this – Because They Can

It seems almost inconceivable that men, across the globe, are able to violate the rights and liberties of their female counterparts in this manner – without consequence. 

The facts are irrefutable. 

There are no words to describe the horrors women and children live with because of a husband or father who uses coercive control. This misses the attention of important change agents in all our important arenas. Intervention is limited – if any exist at all. One cannot help but wonder if there is some conspiracy in place that protects men and women’s expense.

Impacting the Children

Jackson Katz (2016) makes the claim that perpetrating fathers use coercive control to prevent children from spending time with their mother and/or grandparents. Though these acts against the children may be viewed as nonviolent behaviors and innocent in nature, this type of isolation and disempowerment hampers children’s development and resilience. It contributes to behavioral problems that can follow the children into adulthood.

Voice of Warning and a Call to Action

At Center for Peace, we will continue to be a voice of warning to the world, and a place of support and care for victims of coercive control.

It is untenable for our world to continue to fight against this without effectual outcomes. Coercive control is destroying the people of this world one person and one family at a time. 

It is our hope and prayer that those who have eyes to see will do everything within the power of their influence to stop this. 

We do not seek a swing of the pendulum to a society controlled by women. We seek equality, mutuality and peace with all people. An outcome that will benefit both women and men.