Coercive Control: Myths vs Truths

8 things we get wrong, and the truths that everyone should know about this devastating form of domestic abuse

Dr Emma Katz is widely regarded as one the world’s foremost academic experts in her area of research — how coercive control impacts on children and young people.

Emma specializes in the harms caused by father-perpetrated coercive control, as well as children’s and mothers’ resistance and recovery. Read more in her book Coercive Control in Mothers’ and Children’s Lives, published by Oxford University Press.

Welcome

Decoding Coercive Control with Dr Emma Katz aims to revolutionize many outdated, inaccurate and victim-blaming ideas about domestic abuse, and give victims-survivors the validation for their lived experiences that they so rarely receive.

This post goes to the heart of that mission: It tackles the most common and harmful myths about coercive control that are held by “the public” — in other words by a large number of people in society.

Why is it important to bust myths about coercive control? What does it matter if we’re using the most accurate language to capture this form of abuse?

I think it does matter, it is important, because if we bust these myths and get our language right we have a better chance of making more people understand the true nature of coercive control, what the problems really are, and what needs to happen to change our societies in ways that reduce coercive control.

Our ways of thinking about domestic violence and abuse are riddled with myths — here 8 of the biggest myths, and why they are wrong.