Are YOU a victim of coercive control? Domestic abuse expert claims cases in the UK will rise amid lockdown - and reveals the 'red flags' to watch out for

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Lockdown is putting people at greater risk of coercive control, making it crucial for potential victims to be aware of the 'red flag' danger signs, a domestic abuse expert has claimed. 

Dr Emma Katz, a senior lecturer in Childhood and Youth studies at Liverpool Hope University, argued cases will escalate in the UK as perpetrators ramp up their abuse to counteract the loss of control caused by the Covid-19 pandemic.

Her warning comes after the government unveiled a £76million package for domestic violence victims as they admitted lockdown is making it harder for people to seek help.  

Dr Katz, author of upcoming book Coercive Control in Children's and Mothers' Lives, explained coercive control is an under-reported facet of domestic abuse. It sees a perpetrator take control of another person's life, resulting in a 'nightmarish' loss of liberty and freedom.

Lockdown is putting people at greater risk of coercive control, making it crucial for potential victims to be aware of the 'red flag' danger signs, according to a domestic abuse expert. Pictured: stock image

Because it doesn't have to involve violence, many victims and their friends and families might not recognise the early signs of coercive control until it's too late - even mistaking it for 'romance'. 

As well as calling for better awareness of the issue, Dr Katz also wants to see tougher sentencing for what is a creeping, insidious epidemic of abuse.

She told FEMAIL: 'When it comes to coercive control, the Covid-19 lockdown means that dangerous behaviours might escalate more quickly.

'We know that perpetrators like to be in control. Now, however, a big part of their normal lives are restricted.

'So in order to get back to their normal levels of control, they may impose stricter control on their families, to up their sense of power and control once more.

'And that's a terrible problem for the victims. Under social distancing rules, there's no break from each other. Neither adult or child victims can leave the home for prolonged periods.

'Normal escape routes that help victims to cope with perpetrators' control are cut off.'

It is a criminal offence in England and Wales for someone to subject another to coercive control - a law that came into force in 2015 and which recognises victims who experience a pattern of repeated control and domination from a perpetrator.

Dr Emma Katz is a senior lecturer in Childhood and Youth studies at Liverpool Hope University

And the repercussions of this form of abuse cannot be underestimated, according to Dr Katz, for both adult and child victims.

She explained: 'This is a problem that can often fly under the radar, or be dismissed as "relationship problems".

'But coercive control is nightmarish. It's an attack on your liberty, your autonomy, your ability to make decisions.

'A metaphor I often use is that coercive control is like a car hijacking, except it's not the car that's stolen, it's the person's life.

'Ordinary, everyday decisions are taken out of your hands - who to be friends with, who not to be friends with, how we want to present ourselves, how we want to dress, whether we want to do a certain job or not.

'The perpetrator doesn't want a "partner", or "children", they want slave-like figures who are there to serve them.

'And they gain compliance through an awful system of reward and punishment. There might be intermittent rewards to keep you hooked in, giving you a sense of hope and making you think, "Okay, things are not so bad".

'But then you'll also get punishment when you disobey the perpetrator's rules and go against their regime of coercive control.'

Dr Katz says this punishment might be physical - but it could equally involve calling you horrible names, attacking your self-esteem or withdrawing affection for days on end.

She adds: 'And it's the constant cycle of reward and punishment which leaves the victim bewildered and constantly on edge about what the perpetrator will be like if they're not happy.'

Key to combating coercive control is better awareness across Britain - and how you can recognise the dangers, particularly when social distancing measures are lifted and singletons can start dating again.

Talking about the early signs that something isn't right in a relationship, she reveals: 'In the UK we need a much better awareness of what coercive control really is.

'There's these misconceptions that if someone isn't hit, it's not domestic abuse, or if you're married to someone or in a relationship with them, non-consensual sex isn't sexual assault or rape - it is.

'You can't give sexual consent if somebody is making you worried about how they'll react if you say no - it's not a free choice, so the consent isn't valid.

'And it's easy for coercive control to escalate without the victim even realising what's happening.

'When we're talking about an adult perpetrator and an adult victim, the relationship might begin really quickly. The perpetrator seems to idolise you. "You're the one, I'm so excited I found you".

'Things move along really quickly because they're keen to get you committed to the relationship, fast.

'Importantly, the victim might not see this behaviour as a red flag. They might interpret it as, "He/she cares about me so much. It's romantic".

'But then the perpetrator might start sending too many texts in a day, getting annoyed if you don't reply or pick up the phone.

'They might suggest a joint bank account, making it harder for you to break away financially.

'They might also want to know precisely what you've spent your money on, demanding to see receipts.

'It ramps up and up. Until you're left with virtually no freedom or autonomy at all. And situations can quickly evolve into a nightmare.'

The effects on children - who perpetrators often use as weapons in these situations - can be deeply damaging.

Dr Katz says some youngsters are able to reject perpetrators' 'warped' sense of what life should be like, but others will become profoundly confused, and some even side with the perpetrator as a way to try to secure their own safety.

In recent weeks an enhanced Domestic Abuse Bill has been introduced to Parliament - an element of which will stop perpetrators from cross-examining their victims in the family courts.

But Dr Katz, who has won international awards for her work on domestic abuse, still fears it won't go far enough in tackling coercive control.

She says: 'Current legislation needs to change. Sentences for coercive control are typically very low, with perpetrators handed a few months or a year or two on the back of horrific histories where they have psychologically tortured their victims for 15 years or more.

'The maximum you can get for coercive control is five years in prison - but many perpetrators don't get that maximum, they get a couple of years at most.

'In Scotland, however, a new domestic abuse bill came into force in 2018 which put coercive control right at the heart of the issue, and their maximum sentence is 15 years, which is so much better than five years when it comes to sending a serious message.

'Scotland has really prioritised tackling domestic abuse - it's ahead of England and Wales in the policies it has adopted. Its approach to domestic abuse has been described as the Gold Standard - and which should be emulated around the world.' 

Refuge offers a free 24-hour domestic abuse hotline; call them on 0808 2000 247 or visit https://www.nationaldahelpline.org.uk/.