Coercive and Controlling Behaviour - PowerPoint Presentation

Coercive and Controlling Behaviour

WHAT IS IT ? A person repeatedly or continuously engages in behaviour towards another that is controlling or coercive. At the time of the behaviour, both parties are personally connected , the behaviour has a serious effect on the other and it is known or ought to be known the behaviour will have a serious effect . i.e. Domestic micromanagement.

I used to have friends I used to go out I used to have a life Controlling someone by restricting their personal or financial freedom is a crime.

Personally connected’ - When the incidents took place, the parties were in an intimate personal relationship (living together or not) or family members (lived together) or previously in a intimate personal relationship (lived together). ‘Serious effect’ – Fear that violence will be used against them on at least two occasions, or have been caused serious alarm or distress which has a substantial adverse effect on day-to-day activities

Coercive and Controlling Behaviours towards another can include or be committed in conjunction with a range of other offences such as Criminal Damage, Assault, Sexual Assault etc. Victims rarely contact the police to specifically report the offence of coercive control. Coercive control often became apparent as a result of other offences (such as assault or criminal damage) being reported. You can pursue a charge of CCB alone or with another charge eg rape . Of all reported DA cases, research would suggest that 79-86% involve ongoing abuse and would therefore potentially meet the criteria for a charge of coercive control.

TYPES OF BEHAVIOUR

Examples of coercive and controlling behaviours can include: every day criticism threats to kill threats to harm a child controlling their finances threats to publish private information removing the bathroom door controlling what toys the children can play with withholding medication not allowing them to sleep with a blanket or duvet depriving them of food threatening to stop contact with a child

controlling what they wear saying whether they can/need to work – controlling their shift pattern damaging phones to cause isolation threatening to report them to Social Services deleting all male contacts on a phone intimidating with fists calling someone a freak moving things around the house to make them think they’re going mad (gas lighting) being woken throughout the night causing exhaustion being showered with love and gifts threats to hurt or physically harming a family pet monitoring mobile phone installing spyware

EVIDENCE Efforts aimed at gathering evidence to build a robust prosecution case should focus two key things : on the wider pattern of behaviour of the perpetrator 2. the cumulative impact on the victim.

EVIDENCE Evidence Emails Phone records Text messages Social media records Photographs Command and Control Records CCTV Body worn video footage Interaction with Support Services Medical records Witness testimony Local enquiries Bank records DiariesEvidence of isolation. “He would also check the mileage to make sure I had just been to the school and back so I was pretty much in a kind of prison really …” “ He used to make me parade around the house in front of the children naked and show them the injuries he had caused. I was embarrassed and humiliated and my son was too.”

POLICE RESPONSE Arrest and bail Benefits of Arrest Victim feels safer and improve their engagement with police and services Disrupt pattern of controlling/coercive behaviour Allow other enquiries to take place Provide opportunity to put other services in place to support victim Impose bail conditions to protect victim Send a message to perpetrator – their behaviour will not be tolerated and the victim is not alone The victim is being taken seriously

DASH 27 QUESTIONS ASKED AT EVERY INCIDENT Officers need to consider:- Who is at risk The context of the behaviour How the risk factors interact with each other The victims perception of risk

Dash questions will cover:- Physical Abuse Sexual Abuse Coercion, Threats & Intimidation Emotional Abuse & Isolation Children & Pregnancy Economic Abuse

DVPO Suspect must be over 18 Reasonable grounds for believing suspect has been violent or has threatened violence towards person AND DVPO necessary to protect person from violence or threat of violence by suspect Order lasts 28 days Arrestable if breached

Herefordshire – DA Marker Applied Last Refreshed 19/11/2018 West Mercia - Herefordshire - 2018/19 APR MAY JUN JUL AUG SEP OCT NOV TOTAL Homicide 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 Violence With Injury 34 41 26 43 36 42 3616274Violence Without Injury83859593948510158694Rape8237127333Other Sexual Offences1222111010Personal Robbery101001003Business Robbery000000000Burglary - Residential - National310011118Burglary - Business and Community - National000000000Vehicle Offences001100103Theft from Person000011002Bicycle Theft000000000Shoplifting000000000All Other Theft Offences5341265026Criminal Damage & Arson128713712131284Other Crimes Against Society53347106139TOTAL152145143164150161171911177  

QUESTIONS ?