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Coercive control

Coercive control is a form of domestic abuse and became against the law in England and Wales in 2015 and is part of the redefined Domestic Abuse Act 2021. 

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WHAT IS COERCIVE CONTROL?

Coercive control is defined as a series of acts designed to take control of another person who is personally connected to you such as a partner, family member, ex-partner, someone you live with.

Coercive control is a form of domestic abuse and became against the law in England and Wales in 2015 and is part of the redefined Domestic Abuse Act 2021. 

Coercive control can involve multiple aspects of domestic abuse such as psychological abuse, physical abuse, economic abuse and threats of blackmail, for example threatening to release intimate pictures of a partner if they leave you. 

COERCIVE CONTROL CAN INCLUDE

  • Isolating someone from their family and friends.

  • Telling them they can’t go on social media or what they can or can’t put up as posts. 

  • Controlling different aspects of their lives, including how much they go out and how they might dress.

  • Not allowing them to visit a GP or get appropriate healthcare.

  • Continuously putting them down with insults, with the intent to damage their self-esteem and break them down. 

  • Making them participate in rules and actions that may be degrading and designed to be humiliating. 

  • Damaging their property.

  • Sexual abuse.

  • Forcing them to commit crimes they don’t want to. 

  • Violence.

  • Restricting their use of heating or electricity. 

  • Not allowing them to have a job.

  • Taking their money away from them, and not allowing them to have personal money.

  • Denying something has happened, including domestic violence.

  • Hiding things such as car keys so they can’t leave the house. 

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YOU ARE NOT ALONE

If you’re experiencing some of these signs, please call us on 0161 660 7999 from 9.30 to 4.30 pm (Monday to Friday). You can also contact Refuge and the 24/7 hour helpline, 365 days a year on 0808 2000 247. If you’re in immediate danger, please always dial 999.

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