Which statement best describes coercive control in intimate partner violence?

• A. Coercive control is a form of criminal law after a conviction.
• B. Coercive control is ongoing manipulation and domination of a partner’s autonomy; physical violence is one form that may occur within the control pattern.
• C. Physical violence always implies coercive control.
• D. Coercive control requires legal charges to be present.

Answer: (C)

Coercive control is a sustained pattern of behaviors designed to dominate a partner’s life and autonomy. It includes things like monitoring where the partner goes, restricting social connections, controlling money, making decisions for the other person, and using fear to maintain power. Physical violence can be part of this pattern, but it isn’t required for coercive control to exist. Sometimes coercive control occurs without any physical harm, while in other cases violence may be one tactic within the broader control dynamic. The key idea is the ongoing attempt to exercise power and restrict the partner’s freedom, not whether a court has charged someone or whether violence is present in every situation. The other statements misplace coercive control by tying it to legal status or to violence alone, which misses the essential pattern of control over a partner’s life.