Coercive control is recognised as an offence by the Serious Crime Act 2015 as the behaviour that underpins domestic abuse. It is a pattern of behaviour which seeks to take away the victim’s sense of self, minimising their freedom of action and violating their human rights.
Coercive power is used to inflict unpleasant or painful consequences on a person acting on their own choices so that they have no choice but to follow the preferences of the person inflicting harm rather than their choice.
This guidance has been created to assist practitioners in recognising circumstances and addressing situations related to this issue.
A Practitioner’s Guide to Coercive and Controlling Behaviour.pdf