Navigating Coercive Control: Insights into Victim Service Caseworker Perspectives, Challenges, and Support Strategies

• In Event: Poster Session 2

Abstract

Intimate partner violence (IPV) is a serious concern in Canada, where nearly one-third of women experience a form of abuse (Harden et al., 2022). One form of abuse is coercive control, which is the pattern of behaviours involving dominance through intimidation, isolation, and threats, often leading to a victim experiencing emotional and psychological distress, including fear (Dichter et al., 2018). There is profound psychological and emotional harm inflicted by coercive control, including the development of complex post-traumatic stress disorder (Bishop & Bettinson, 2018). Current support services lack the recognition of such abuse; there is a need for service providers to recognize the signs of coercive control to provide adequate support (Brennan et al., 2019). The authors will present qualitative findings from interviews conducted with victim services caseworkers regarding their understanding of coercive control, how they support victims and any barriers that they face in employing support strategies.

Author

• Bailey Cooper, Simon Fraser University