Coercive and Controlling Behaviour

Coercive and controlling behaviour is a form of domestic abuse and can come in many different forms.

Although this type of abuse can become physical, this is not always the case as coercive behaviour usually involves the abuser making their partner believe that they have no power to leave or stop them, or even that they might deserve this.

What Qualifies as Coercive and Controlling?

In order to identify whether you (or someone you know) is being abused, we have provided a list of these behaviours below. This is not an exhaustive list, but does cover the most common forms of abuse:

  • Isolation – Keeping a person from their friends and family, not letting them outside, etc.
  • Economic abuse – This is extremely common and can include withholding income, controlling their spending, coerced debt, or stealing pension payments.
  • Sexual assault – Threats of sexual assault or actual sexual assault.
  • Reproductive coercion – Forced use of birth control or withholding birth control, forced pregnancy including tampering with or pretending to wear condoms (known as ‘stealthing’) or forced abortions.
  • Threats – This can be threats of violence to their partner or child, threats to disclose private information about the other person, or threats to place the victim in an institution against their will (such as a care home or mental health facility).
  • Humiliation – Any behaviour which is designed to degrade, humiliate or embarrass.
  • Controlling/removing freedoms – Forcing someone to participate in criminal activity so that they believe they cannot go to the police, or destruction of immigration documents.

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What Do I Do If I Think Someone Is Being Abused?

If your partner (or the partner of someone you know) is exhibiting abusive behaviour, then you should go to the police immediately. However, if there is little evidence of this, then the police may only be able to issue a warning to the offender, which may leave you in a more volatile environment.

If you want to press charges against your abuser for coercive and controlling behaviour, it’s vital to get the help of a specialist family law solicitor, as we can help you produce sufficient evidence and argue your case in court, as well as guiding you throughout the process. Proving a pattern of abusive behaviour is the best way to fight your case, and the earlier you can engage with a solicitor to help you gather evidence, the better your chances. Having a solicitor to argue on your behalf, especially if the case goes to court, can remove a lot of anxiety and stress. Our family solicitors are friendly and approachable, and we are one of the leading firms of family solicitors with extensive experience in dealing with controlling behaviour.

If you have been a victim of abuse, you may qualify for Legal Aid to help pay your solicitor fees. To find out more, please check if you can get Legal Aid before you contact Higgins Miller so that you are fully aware of all the restrictions that may apply.

Check if you can get legal aid -GOV.UK

What If I’m Accused of Abusive Behaviour?

If you have been accused of coercive and controlling behaviour, and are facing either criminal or civil charges, then you will need to engage in a specialist family law solicitor. We will help you to fight your side and protect you against accusations, to the best of our ability.

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To arrange to meet with one of our expert solicitors please contact us on 0161 429 7251 or email [email protected]

We also operate an out of hours service to allow you to contact us in case of an emergency. Our out of hours number is 07837124732.

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