Section 76 of the Serious Crime Act of 2015 created a monumental shift in how domestic abuse is addressed in the United Kingdom. It added coercive and controlling behaviors as a serious offense, essentially criminalizing coercive control. However, the Domestic Abuse Bill proposed in 2019, and still in progress, includes another important distinction. It removes the language of domestic […]

High conflict is the typical label slapped on a divorcing couple within the United States family court system when domestic abuse and/or coercive control are a factor in the case. As far as problematic language goes, high conflict is, in my opinion, the most damaging terminology applied to victims and survivors of domestic abuse and […]

The Power & Control Wheel, developed by the Domestic Abuse Intervention Project in Daluth, MN, was created in 1984 using the input of victims and survivors of domestic violence. It details the many abusive tactics used by abusers to control and dominate their intimate partners and/or ex-partners. The Power & Control Wheel is still used […]

While the framework of coercive control that expert Evan Stark researches and covers extensively in his book “Coercive Control – How men entrap women in personal life”, is all about intimate partner violence (IPV), I believe that much of the coercive control framework can be applied in other contexts as well. Lisa Fontes, author of […]

One of the most commonly misunderstood aspects of coercive control and abuse is whether the actions of the abuser are intentional. Do abusers truly recognize the harm they are inflicting? This question is central to our understanding of abusive dynamics and can shape how we respond to and support survivors. Exploring the intentions behind coercive […]

DARVO is a relatively recent term. Jennifer Freyd, a researcher at the University of Oregon, first started using the term in 1997 to describe a pattern of emotional abuse that often presents in relationship involving domestic violence. DARVO is an acronym that stands for Deny, Attack, Reverse Victim & Offender, and it is prevalent, not […]

The Maze Coercive Control Wheel (click the link to view un-cropped version of the wheel) was developed by Kathy Jones in order to update the long-standing Power and Control Wheel developed decades ago by the Domestic Abuse Intervention Programs (DAIP). By adding coercive control to the existing tactics included in the original tool, we are […]