the CONTINUUM OF COERCIVE CONTROL Evan Stark Ph

the CONTINUUM OF COERCIVE CONTROL Evan Stark, Ph. D. MSW Professor Emeritus, Rutgers University “I’ll tell you what freedom is to me: no fear. I mean really, no fear!” Nina Simone

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“VIOLENCE WASN’T THE WORST PART. ”

Sheffield man jailed after admitting ‘coercive control’ “Mohammed Anwaar admitted forcing Gemma Doherty to behave how he wanted for over a year, restricting who she could see, what she was allowed to wear and what not to eat. He used fear to make her run on a treadmill every day, showing her pictures of other women’s bodies and telling her she did not look as good as they did. ” Sheffield Crown Court – 10 offences in total. 28 months sentence 18/05/2016

HOW WE GOT HERE • Current approaches weren’t/aren’t working • New model of Coercive Control • Grassroots pressure to adapt as framework for policy/law • New Definition and Offense

WHEN PARTNER ABUSE = ASSAULT. VIOLENCE FOCUSED. INCIDENT BASED. INJURY AS MARKER. CALCULUS OF HARMS. - NOT WHAT WOMEN AND CHILDREN EXPERIENCE -

What went wrong?

U. S. INTIMATE PARTNER HOMICIDE RATE DECLINE 1976 -2000 FBI (SHR, 1976 -2000) FEMALE

Attrition from Report to Punishment (Hester 2006; Hester et al 2008) Reports to police 2001/2002 869 Three areas In NE England arrests charges convictions 222 60 31 25. 5% of incidents 14% of incidents 3. 6% of incidents

UK Partner Rape cases: • More likely to result in arrest…but not charged • More likely to be withdrawn • Multiple Complaints • Behavioral Problems (Hester, M. (2013) From Report to Court: Rape Cases and the Criminal Justice System in the North East, Bristol: Unversity of Bristol in association with the Northern Rock Foundation.

Ms. W reported she was raped a week ago by ex and had been so previously. Police recorded a number of previous rapes by same offender and another ex where she had withdrawn complaint. They recognized vulnerability of Mrs. W to further abuse. But not recorded as “crime” because “she had withdrawn previous complaint. “

Coercively Controlling Male & Cooperating Victim Planet I Life on Three Planets Neglectful Mother & Invisible men Child Protection Planet 3 Planet 2 Adapted from Radford & Hester, 2006 ‘Good Enough’ Father & Alienating Mom

Abuse and Sexual Coercion are TRIVIALIZED & NORMALIZED When viewed through a violence lens Frustration, Victim-blaming, Revolving Door and Withdrawal on the Front Lines

HOW THINGS (DIDN’T) WORK • 27 year old Somerset man, Jamie Mitchell bit his girlfriend, punched her 21 times, fracturing her eye socket and breaking her nose and cheekbone when she came to his room to “talk things over. ” Controlled her in numerous ways and caused severe psychological trauma. (Dec. 11, 2016) -suspended sentence…attributed to ‘mental health’ issues

Terri (46) and Mike (62) Greene (murdered 22/9/11). ‘KILLER IS ‘NARCISSISTIC SOCIOPATH WITH NO KNOWN HX OF VIOLENCE. ’ ‘WTINESS-SURVIVORS’ ARE CO-VICTIMS ‘ALONE, ’ ‘FORESAKEN, ’ WALKING HER DEATH MARCH’. SISTER IDENTIFIED 132 INDEPENDENT DV EVENTS OVER 25 YRS IN MI. MULTIPLE DV, STALKING, SEXUAL ABUSE, THREATS TO KILL, CHILD ABUSE, ETC… “WHAT DID THAT HAVE TO DO WITH THE ‘REAL VIOLENCE’ OF THE MURDER? ”

VICTIM BLAMING IF……………. • • • No calls to police or hospital visits If violence wasn’t severe, abuse wasn’t severe Dropped charges Withdrew Protective Order Stayed and/or Returned to Relationship “Loves” him/Protects him/Lies for him

ABUSE CAN BE STOPPED 79 -86/of every l 00 cases reported involve ongoing abuse

MAKING THE TRAGEDIES OF THE WOMEN (AND SOME MEN) WE WORK WITH GRIEVABLE

THINGS BEGIN TO CHANGE……. . • DASH– • RISK ASSESSMENT BASED ON • MARACS • SAFETY WORK IS ‘ONGOING’ HISTORICAL/MULTIPLE FACTORS • PHA EXPANSIONs- STALKING • ABUSE CROSSES SOCIAL SPACE • DHR’s • UNRECOGNIZED COERCIVE CONTROL COULD HAVE SAVED LIVES

HOME OFFICE DEFINITION: DOMESTIC VIOLENCE & COERCIVE CONTROL (2012) Any incident or pattern of incidents of controlling, coercive or threatening behaviour, violence or abuse…. regardless of gender or sexuality. This encompasses …the following types of abuse: • psychological • physical • sexual • financial • emotional

Coercive Control Physical /Sexual Violence Isolation Intimidation & Stalking & Degradatio n Control

UK: “OFTEN” or “All THE TIME” • 65. 5% pushed or shoved • 58” “shook” or “roughly handled” • 55. 2% “smacked” or “slapped” or twisted their arm • 46. 6% Kicked, bit or punched them

DV is Not ABOUT SEVERE INJURY

Partner Sexual Assault VERY COMMON > 30% • JUST PLAIN ‘JOE’ • REPEATED • CONTINUUM OF SEXUAL COERCION

SEXUAL COERCION ’Sex Ag. Rape Will— Repro 34% 60%. ductive Coercion Sexual Inspect ions Rape as Routine

Rape as Routine • He told me he wanted to fool around and I told him no. He kept persisting and taking off my clothes and I kept fighting him off. He took his belt and tied my hands behind my back aqnd he had fun. I never wanted him to do that again like that so I never said ‘no. • Dila, age 26

STALKING Strategies Surveillance Life Invasion How is he tracking you? How many ways has he invaded your life? Follow Watch Wait Show up Tracking software Obtain information about target Proxy Unwanted contact at home, work, and other places Phone calls Other unwanted contact Property invasion Spreading rumors Public humiliation Harass friends and family Intimidation How has he tried to intimidate/ scare you? Threats Property damage Forced confrontations Keep target from leaving or going somewhere Road rage Threaten or actually harm self Threats to target about harming others Interfere by Sabotage/ Attack How much have you lost or what are you afraid of losing? Financial & work sabotage Ruining reputation Custody interference Attack friends and family Physical/ sexual attack

I'd go to the bathroom and if I was in there, you know, just sitting there was relief. [She thought], “Thank God, I'm alone. ” Just to go to the bathroom--To me that was like going to Paris for some women. And if I was in there two minutes longer than he thought I should be just come in there [and she motioned grabbing her hair, showing how he would drag her out of the bathroom right off the toilet]. And if I was just in there, he would say I was thinking --” conspiring. ”

VIOLENCE, RAPE & STALKING Violence Rape only and Rape 4% 9% Violence, Stalking and Rape 13% Violence only 59% Violence and Stalking 14%

DEGRADATION • ritual enactments associated with sex, bodily functions or obedience • TARGET AREAS OF GENDER IDENTITY FROM WHICH PARTNERS GET THEIR SELF-RESPECT, ESTEEM AND POWER • Link to Ownership • Psychological abuse & Gas-light games

ISOLATION RIGHT TO SOCIETY/SUPPORT/FREEDOM OF MOVEMENT

CONTROL Harms to equality/autonomy/freedom • EXPLOITATION (takes what is hers; treated as servant) • DEPRIVATION (woman as dependent); exchanges necessities for compliance • REGULATION – “Arbitrary Deprivations of Liberty. ” (woman as captive)

Control Prevalence among Women Seeking Help US/UK • • • Took her Money (. 54) Monitored Time (. 85) (. 66) Kept from Medical Care (. 29) (. 22) Did Not Allow to Go to School (. 62) (. 52) No Socializing with Friends (. 79) (. 71) Kept from Seeing Family (. 60) (. 50) Restricted Car Use (. 54) (. 31) Can’t Leave House (. 62) (. 47) Threatened to Take Children (. 44) (. 40) Did Not Allow to Work (. 34) (. 40) Tried to Make Crazy (. 89) (. 75) Sources: Tolman, l 989; Rees, Agnew-Davies & Barkham, 2006; Buzawa et al. l 999

Controlling behaviors charged under s. 76 • • Access to/use of money, phone, FACEbook or other social media Enforced Diet Prohibited contact with friends, family and health services Monitoring and/or constraining movements (‘never letting her go out alone’) Continual belittlement Regulating what she wore, sleep, hairstyle & makeup Harming or threatening children Continual jealous accusations

SAFETY ZONES SEARCH AND DESTROY

Coercive control is the single most common context in which child abuse occurs

DHR– WHERE ARE VICTIM VOICES? • WERE EXISTING SERVICES WHAT VICTIMS NEEDED AND, IF NOT, WHAT WOULD MAKE THEM THAT WAY? • RECOGNIZING THE ‘SECONDARY’ • VICTIMIZATION OF FAMILY MEMBERS BY POLICE, COURTS AND OTHER SERVICES. • WHAT MORE CAN BE DONE TO ENCOURAGE INVOLVEMENT OF VICTIM’S FAMILY, FRIENDS AND OTHERS? • RE-COGNIZING THE COURAGE AND SACRIFICE OF THOSE WE’VE LOST ALONGSIDE THEIR VICTIMIZATION

Why does he stay?

Before? • Nigel Wolitter, 30 year old Nottinghamshire man • poured paint on machinery belong to partner’ family • Motive: To punish his partner for refusing to give him money for marijuana

And now? Coercion Control Sentence Cell phone photos of injuries over last two years “controlled every aspect of my life from where I went to what I wore, to what possessions he allowed me to own. I wasn’t a person, but an object to him. ” 4. 5 years Plus 2 counts of common assault and property damage

CHALLENGES RE: S 76 • SEXUAL COERCION CLARITY ABOUT VIOLENCE • STALKING • CONTINUUM OF COERCION & CONTROL

Re-Framing Harms • Violence = Right to Security • Intimidation and Degradation =Right to Dignity & Live Without Fear • Isolation= Right to autonomy and association • Control = Liberty Rights • Drucilla Cornell, The Imaginary Domain

WORK WITH SURVIVORS AND THEIR CHILDREN • LISTENING • EMPOWERING • VOICING • MAKING THE PERSONAL POLITICAL

CONTROL IN THE CONTEXT OF NO CONTROL

“Rightlessness” “Grievable Lives”