Women described being controlled by verbal abuse, threats of physical and sexual violence or harm to them or their children if they did not comply with their partner's wishes or the other. There experience of outbursts or verbal, physical, sexual or other form of violence meant they took these threats seriously.


Coecive control is a wide reaching form of abuse and, as control is at the heart of all domestic abuse, it overlaps with many other categories, especially sexual abuse and financial abuse.

In early research with survivors they talked about how different it was to describe the ways they felt abuse affected them.

Evans Stark's 2007 book outlined the ways in which men can "entrap" women using controlling and threatening behaviors.

Control is established using threats to harm the woman if she does not comply, or making the atmosphere at home unbearable.

Women described how their partner would punish them and threaten more serious harm to her or the children if they did not do as they wanted.

Some women described how their partners tried to get them addicted to alcohol, drugs or online gambling, to stop them noticing the abusive behaviors.

It is high time we should fight and stop any form of Violence against women.

  SAY NO TO SEXUAL VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN
  SAY NO TO ANY FORM OF THREATS AGAINST WOMEN