Service provider difficulties in operationalising coercive control

Gormally, Sinéad; Brennan, Iain R.; Burton, Victoria; Gormally, Sinead; O’Leary, Nicola

Abstract

© The Author(s) 2018. We examined perspectives of social workers, police officers, and specialist domestic abuse practitioners about their perceived ability and organizational readiness to respond effectively to incidents of coercive and controlling behavior. Interviews revealed intervention and risk assessment strategies structured around an outdated, maladaptive concept of domestic abuse as an unambiguous and violent event and frontline services that lacked appreciation of the power dynamics inherent in controlling relationships. The analysis demonstrates how lack of definitional clarity around nonphysical domestic abuse can increase the use of discretion by frontline services and, by extension, increase the discounting of coercive control by pressured frontline officers.

Citation

Gormally, S., Brennan, I. R., Burton, V., Gormally, S., & O’Leary, N. (2019). Service provider difficulties in operationalising coercive control. Violence against women, 25(6), 635-653. https://doi.org/10.1177/1077801218797478

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Dec 18, 2017
• Online Publication Date: Sep 21, 2018
• Publication Date: May 1, 2019
• Deposit Date: Jan 18, 2018
• Publicly Available Date: Jan 18, 2018
• Journal: Violence Against Women
• Print ISSN: 1077-8012
• Publisher: SAGE Publications
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 25
• Issue: 6
• Pages: 635-653
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/1077801218797478
• Keywords: Coercive control; Service provider; Police
• Public URL: https://hull-repository.worktribe.com/output/547854
• Publisher URL: https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/1077801218797478
• Contract Date: Jan 18, 2018