Controlling behavior

Controlling behavior refers to the behavior of a person to control someone else. In relationships, abusers employ a range of ways, such as coercion and intimidation, to control others. Victims are often subject to physical, financial, sexual and psychological abuse.

Characteristics

Abusers employ a range of ways to control another person, some of which look positive, making their victims less likely to know that they are being abused.

Positive ways

Negative ways

Causes

Controlling behavior can be caused by different factors. Many abusers have personality disorders they are not aware of.

Law

United Kingdom

England and Wales

The Serious Crime Act 2015 created a criminal offence for controlling behavior in a family or an intimate relationship. The Act requires the following criteria to be met in order for someone to be convicted:

The controlling behavior must have

  • had a "serious effect" on the victim
  • been carried out "repeatedly or continuously"
  • caused the victim to fear violence at least twice
  • been carried out with the intent to control or coerce the victim in some manner

Scotland

Controlling behavior is also a criminal offence in Scotland under the Domestic Abuse (Scotland) Act 2018, with largely the same criteria.

United States

Several states have passed laws to require those in certain professions, including doctors, teachers and caregivers, to report domestic violence against children to the authorities. Family law mostly comes under the jurisdiction of local and state governments, leading to differences in handling controlling behavior in relationships.

Examples

The Jennifers' Law of Connecticut is a law in the U.S. state of Connecticut including coercive control within the definition of domestic violence. The law is named after two women, both victims of domestic violence: Jennifer Farber Dulos and Jennifer Magnano, which came into effect in 2021.

References

  1. 1 2 Antai, D. (2011). Controlling behavior, power relations within intimate relationships and intimate partner physical and sexual violence against women in Nigeria. BMC public health, 11, 1-11.
  2. 1 2 Graham-Kevan, N., & Archer, J. (2008). Does controlling behavior predict physical aggression and violence to partners?. Journal of Family Violence, 23, 539-548.
  3. ↑ Lehmann, Peter; Simmons, Catherine A.; Pillai, Vijayan K. (2012-08-01). "The Validation of the Checklist of Controlling Behaviors (CCB): Assessing Coercive Control in Abusive Relationships". Violence Against Women. 18 (8): 913–933. doi:10.1177/1077801212456522. ISSN 1077-8012. PMID 23008428. S2CID 39673421.
  4. 1 2 3 Braiker, Harriet B (2003). "An Overview of Manipulation". Who's Pulling Your Strings?: How to Break the Cycle of Manipulation and Regain Control of Your Life. New York: McGraw Hill Professional. ISBN 9780071435680. Retrieved 24 July 2021.
  5. ↑ "Signs of Love Bombing - The Hotline". National Domestic Violence Hotline. Retrieved February 11, 2025.
  6. ↑
  7. ↑
    • Tangney, J., & Dearing, R. (2002). Shame and guilt. New York. The Guilford Press
    • Silfver, M. (2007). Coping with guilt and shame: a narrative approach, Journal of Moral Education, 36, 169-183
    • Leith, K., Baumeister, R. (2008). Empathy, shame, guilt, and narratives of interpersonal conflict: guilt- prone people are better at perspective taking, Journal of Personality, 66, 1-37
    • Beck, G., McNiff, J., Capp, J., Olsen, S., Avery, M., & Hagewood, J. (2011). Exploring negative emotion in women experiencing intimate partner violence: shame, guilt, and PTSD, Behaviour Therapy, 42, 740-750
    • Humeny, C. (2013). "A Qualitative Investigation of a Guilt Trip" (PDF). Institute of Cognitive Science. Archived from the original (PDF) on February 18, 2017. Retrieved February 12, 2025.
  8. ↑
    • Adams Natalie, Bettis Pamela. 2003. “Commanding the Room in Short Skirts: Cheering as the Embodiment of Ideal Girlhood.” Gender & Society 17(1):73–91.
    • Barber Jennifer S., Kusunoki Yasamin, Gatny Heather H., Budnick Jamie. 2018. “The Dynamics of Intimate Partner Violence and the Risk of Pregnancy during the Transition to Adulthood.” American Sociological Review 83(5):1020–47.
    • Randles Jennifer. 2018. “‘Manning Up’ to Be a Good Father: Hybrid Fatherhood, Masculinity, and U.S. Responsible Fatherhood Policy.” Gender & Society 32(4):516–39.
    • Warshaw Carole, Tinnon Erin. 2018. “Coercion Related to Mental Health and Substance Use in the Context of Intimate Partner Violence: A Toolkit for Screening, Assessment, and Brief Counseling in Primary Care and Behavioral Health Settings” (https://www.sprc.org/sites/default/files/resource-program/NCDVTMH_IPV_ScreeningMH_SA_CoercionToolkit2018.pdf[permanent dead link]).
    • Sweet, Paige L. (September 20, 2019). "The Sociology of Gaslighting". American Sociological Review. 84 (5). doi:10.1177/0003122419874843. Retrieved February 12, 2025.
  9. ↑
  10. ↑ "Personality disorders – Symptoms and causes". Mayo Clinic. Retrieved 2022-07-17.
  11. 1 2 Statutory guidance framework: controlling or coercive behaviour in an intimate or family relationship 05 Dec 2015 gov.uk
  12. ↑ "University graduate from Poole admits controlling and coercive behaviour" Daily Echo 27 Mar 2019
  13. ↑ "Controlling or Coercive Behaviour in an Intimate or Family Relationship". CPS.gov.uk. Text was copied from this source, which is available under an Open Government Licence v2.0. © Crown copyright.
  14. ↑
  15. 1 2 Hyman, Ariella; Schillinger, Dean; Lo, Bernard (1995-06-14). "Laws Mandating Reporting of Domestic Violence: Do They Promote Patient Well-being?". JAMA. 273 (22): 1781–1787. doi:10.1001/jama.1995.03520460063037. ISSN 0098-7484. PMID 7769774.
  16. 1 2 Agogliati, Mike (28 Jun 2021). "Lamont signs "Jennifer's Law" expanding domestic violence definition". WFSB News. Retrieved 29 June 2021.