Coercive Control
This is when someone you’re personally connected to repeatedly does things which make you feel controlled, dependent, isolated or scared.
It often begins by ‘love bombing’ and like the start of many relationships it can seem as though the person in front of you is perfect in every way. As the relationship develops and the abuser has isolated you from those who might help and support you, often their behaviour changes entirely.
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Examples of Coercive Control include:
- Monitor your texts, calls and whereabouts.
- Keep track of your regular chores and activities.
- Repeatedly put you down, call you names or tell you you’re worthless.
- Control your finances and how much money you spend.
- Threaten to hurt you, your family members or pets.
- Isolate you from your friends or family.
- Stop you going to work.
- Force you to work more.
- Damage your things, or threaten to damage them.
- Threaten to share sexual images or videos of you.
Many relationships that begin romantically can quickly become controlling, with partners reading emails, checking texts and locations of social media posts.
