Researchers, third-sector organisations, and police collaborate to combat digitally enabled coercive control
University of Liverpool’s School of Law and Social Justice hosted representatives from various charities and third-sector organisations, alongside police officers and academics, to address the growing issue of digitally enable coercive control (DECC).
The collaborative workshop, which took place on 26 June, aimed to enhance understanding and response to the evolving nature of coercive control in the digital age. Attendees heard the preliminary results of an N8 Policing Research Partnership funded project carried out by Dr Antoinette Huber, as Principal Investigator, and Professor Barry Godfrey, as Co-Investigator.
Coercive control has been recognised as a criminal offense under section 76 of the Serious Crime Act since 2015. The legislation targets coercive and controlling behaviour between personally connected individuals, which induces fear of violence or significantly impacts the victim’s daily life through severe harm or distress. However, the advent of technology has transformed the dynamics of this abuse, making it more pervasive and harder to detect.
Technology has made coercive control easier to perpetrate from afar and it is instantaneous, never giving any reprieve for the victim. The connectivity technology provides means that the victim is essentially never alone, is always contactable, and their behaviour is always able to be monitored. It also changes the perpetrator’s tactics which have become increasingly complex and harder to identify for both police and victims.
The use of digital devices in the domestic abuse context has become so routine that most police officers believe it is now very rare to get a case of domestic abuse or coercive control that does not include a digital element.
This project aims to develop more effective responses to digitally enabled coercive control, through collaborations with the Revenge Porn Helpline, ManKind Initiative, Welsh Women’s Aid, and three police forces.
The University of Liverpool’s Centre for Innovation in Education are partnering with the project team to create enhanced training programmes for police officers.
A report, which promises to provide comprehensive insights and recommendations, is scheduled for release in Autumn 2024. This collaborative effort marks a significant step towards understanding and mitigating the impact of digitally enabled coercive control, ensuring better protection and support for victims in the digital age.