Coercive control

Coercive control is a pattern of behavior that restricts another person’s autonomy through intimidation, isolation, or domination. It can occur in intimate relationships and other settings.

Isolation (psychology): The deliberate separation of a person from social contact, support, or outside information. Cutting off friends and family can make domination harder to resist.
Domestic violence: Abuse or violence occurring within domestic or family relationships. Coercive control is recognized as a form or pattern of domestic abuse.
Situational couple violence: Partner violence arising from specific conflicts, without a broader pattern of one partner controlling the other. It contrasts episodic conflict-driven violence with domination across daily life.
Learned helplessness: A response in which repeated exposure to uncontrollable adversity reduces attempts to change or escape it. Prolonged control can make resistance seem ineffective, though responses vary.
Coercive control legislation: Laws that define or prohibit patterns of controlling or coercive behavior, especially in intimate or family relationships. Jurisdictions differ over which behaviors qualify and how offenses should be proven.
Intimidation: The use of threats or threatening conduct to create fear and influence another person. Fear can enforce compliance even when no physical force is used.
Domestic Abuse Act 2021: A law of England and Wales defining domestic abuse and establishing related protections and duties. It provides a statutory definition that includes controlling or coercive behavior.
Physical abuse: The intentional use of physical force against another person that causes or risks injury. Coercive control can exist without physical assault, though the two can overlap.
Post-traumatic stress disorder: A mental health condition involving persistent distress after exposure to traumatic events. Some people subjected to coercive control develop trauma-related symptoms.
Power and control wheel: A model depicting tactics used to maintain power and control in abusive relationships. It offers a practical framework, while researchers debate how well models capture varied experiences.

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