This page is from APP, the official source of professional practice for policing.
All police officers and staff should use learning from domestic homicide reviews (DHRs) and national reporting to identify and act on their findings. They should use the data from the National Domestic Homicide Project report to inform their force’s response to domestic abuse, domestic homicide and victim suicide.
Forces should use the accompanying animation and questions to brief various policing roles, including frontline officers, investigators and senior investigating officers (SIOs).
Controlling or coercive behaviour
Police officers and staff must recognise and respond to controlling or coercive behaviour. Any behaviour or pattern suggestive of such conduct must be treated seriously and investigated for offences under section 76 of the Serious Crime Act 2015.
Officers should consider:
- domestic abuse, including controlling or coercive behaviour, as a contributing factor when attending an unexpected death (including suspected suicide)
- gathering evidence from family and friends where relevant
- that controlling or coercive behaviour often co-occurs with other offences and can escalate to serious physical or sexual violence
Officers should understand characteristics of controlling or coercive behaviour, including:
- repeated or continuous abuse, often subtle or personalised
- micro-management of daily life, setting rules with consequences for disobedience or isolating the victim
- exploitation of victim vulnerabilities, such as disability, language barriers or cultural isolation
- creating fear, anxiety and acceptance of abuse as ‘normal’
- perpetrators disguising their behaviour, including attempts to manipulate police
Examples of behaviours may include:
- constant criticism, humiliation and threats
- controlling finances or withholding money
- restricting movement, work or access to communications
- isolating the victim from friends, family or support
- excessive monitoring, including phone or social media checks
- dictating appearance, routines or daily activities
Police officers should understand that a serious effect includes the victim fearing violence on at least two occasions, or suffering serious alarm or distress affecting daily activities, such as:
- social withdrawal
- routine changes
- health deterioration
- safeguarding measures
Police officers should also understand that under section 76(5) of the Serious Crime Act 2015, “ought to know” applies where a reasonable person in possession of the same information would know.
For further information, go to:
- Controlling or coercive behaviour in an intimate or family relationship
- Controlling or coercive behaviour statutory guidance framework
- Suspect interview, spotlight on controlling or coercive behaviour
- Checklist: conducting the victim interview – controlling or coercive behaviour
- Checklist: spotlight on controlling or coercive behaviour
Further offences associated with domestic abuse
Police officers should understand that domestic abuse can give rise to a wide range of offences. The following table highlights some of the most relevant offences and legislation. The list is not exhaustive.
| Examples of behaviour | Possible offences |
|---|---|
| A pattern of behaviour intended to control or coerce someone. |
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| Physical violence that includes spitting, punching, slapping, pushing, kicking, head-butting, hair pulling, choking, strangling or suffocating. |
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| Physical violence that includes assault with a weapon. |
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| Violence resulting in death. |
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| Violence resulting in miscarriage. |
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| Threatening with a weapon or article used as a weapon, such as a knife, tool, telephone or chair. |
Specific bladed article or weapon charges can be considered if in a public place or on school premises:
The following offences were inserted by section 142 of the Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Act 2012:
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| Threatening, abusing or insulting a person with intent to cause fear or provoke violence (where at least one party is outside a dwelling). |
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| Intentionally causing harassment, alarm or distress to a person. |
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| Throwing articles, such as crockery, even if they miss their target. |
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| Damaging or destroying property, or threatening to do so, including by fire. |
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| Forcing entry into a house. |
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| Tying someone up or otherwise preventing them from leaving a room or house |
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| Preventing someone from seeking aid, such as medical help. |
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| Forced sexual activity, including forced sexual activity by a partner as part of a gang initiation. |
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| Persistent verbal abuse. |
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| Offensive, obscene or menacing telephone calls, messages, letters or social network communications. |
Further information also available in:
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| Threats to send or sending intimate images or videos. |
Further information also available in:
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| Excessive unwanted contact. |
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| Secret or forced administration of drugs. |
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| Breach of a court order limiting or preventing contact. |
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| Pressuring a victim or witness to ‘drop the case’ or to not give evidence, including during the investigation stage (that is, where a person has not been charged). |
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Some of these offences can also be racially aggravated. For the full list, go to:
For further information, go to:
Victim behaviour and ongoing risk
Police officers should not assume that a victim who remains with, or returns to, an abusive partner is safe or that the abuse has ended. Victims may not feel able, or be in a position, to leave the relationship safely. Police officers should understand that victims may stay because of, for example:
- fear of consequences
- financial dependence
- cultural or language barriers
- concern for children, pets or family
- fear of not being believed
- fear of having children removed
- not recognising the abuse
Officers should consider the reasons why a victim may stay or withdraw support. They should ensure that, no matter how many times a victim may initiate and withdraw, the victim is supported. Officers should approach each call for service without making assumptions and should apply the same level of effort to risk assessment, safety planning and investigation on each occasion.
A victim who does not feel able to engage with the police may be prepared to work with other domestic abuse services. Officers should consider referring a victim to specialist domestic abuse services, even if they are not engaging with the police.
Police officers should challenge domestic abuse perpetrators about their behaviour. Perpetrators can carry on abusing because they are not robustly challenged. Some can recognise the behaviour, challenge themselves, seek help and willingly engage in support activity where available. Many others cannot or do not want to. It is not the responsibility of the victim to leave, but of the perpetrator to stop abusing.