Exploring how young people in the UK understand coercive control: a qualitative study
| Date | 12 November 2024 |
| Pages | 86-104 |
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.1108/JCP-08-2024-0075 |
| Published date | 12 November 2024 |
| Author | Maya Elizabeth Sharma,Elizabeth Paddock,Katy A. Jones |
Exploring how young people in the UK
understand coercive control: a qualitative
study
Maya Elizabeth Sharma, Elizabeth Paddock and Katy A. Jones
Abstract
Purpose –Since the criminalisation of coercive control (CC), there have been a growing number of
cases in the UK; however, therecontinues to be minimal research, understanding and educationabout
this type of abuse. Hence,it is unsurprising that young people are at the highest risk of CC as they enter
their first intimaterelationships with limited awareness of the risks.The aim of this study is to explore how
16- to 24-year-oldsin the UK understand CC in intimate relationships.
Design/methodology/approach –Semi-structuredinterviews were conducted with 23 young people to
explore their knowledge of CC, sources of knowledge and learning opportunities. Reflexive thematic
analysiswas used to examine the interviews.
Findings –A total of 14 participants hadheard of CC. Participants attributed victims and perpetrators
behaviour to individualand environmental factors, includingsocietal and gendered expectations. Young
people explained that theirknowledge came from experiences, online sources and family and friends.
However, participantsrecognised the importance of credible messengers and sources,and some were
sceptical of informationshared online. Most had not learnt about CC in formal education but expressed
the importanceof incorporating it into the secondarycurriculum.
Originality/value –To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this study is the first to explore how young
people understand CC in the UK. The findings highlight the need for better understanding and formal
education around CC, provide a platform for future work and encourage the incorporation of young
voicesin developinginterventions.
Keywords Qualitative,Coercive control,Young people, Education, Socialmedia, Intimate relationships
Paper type Research paper
Introduction
In 2015, Section 76 of the Serious Crime Act (The Crown Prosecution Service, 2023)
criminalised controlling or coercive behaviour in an intimate or family relationship. The
Home Office defines coercive control (CC) as an act that “makes a person feel inferior and
dependent by keeping them apart from friends, help, and support. This can include taking
advantage of their money and things they have, stopping their independence, and
controlling what they wantto do” (Home Office, 2022, p. 2).
In the year ending March 2022, the police recorded 41,626 cases of CC, amounting to the
highest recorded prevalence since the law was introduced (Office for National Statistics,
2022). The rise in cases could reflect the increased awareness of CC and the polic e’s
confidence in applying the law; however, these figures are likely to be an und errepresentation
and highlight the alarming prevalence of CCin the UK.
CC is central to intimate partner violence and abuse (IPVA) (Barnes et al.,2023). Young people
under 25 are at the greatest risk of IPVA and CC (Hamberger et al., 2017;Office for National
Maya Elizabeth Sharma,
Elizabeth Paddock and
Katy A. Jones are all based
at Faculty of Medicine and
Health Sciences, University of
Nottingham, Nottingham, UK.
Received 16 August 2024
Revised 11 October 2024
Accepted 14 October 2024
PAGE 86 jJOURNAL OF CRIMINAL PSYCHOLOGY jVOL. 15 NO. 1 2025, pp. 86-104, ©Emerald Publishing Limited, ISSN 2009-3829 DOI 10.1108/JCP-08-2024-0075
Statistics, 2023b); specifically, 97% of young people experiencing IPVA reported psychological
abuse (Hossain et al.,2020). Associated consequences of CC in young people include
substance use, delinquency, underachievement, and abuse (Banyard et al.,2020;Barter and
Stanley, 2016;Postmus et al.,2020). Developmental theorists propose CC increases as
individuals explore intimate relationships in adolescence and early adulthood (Erikson, 1950;
Mehta and Strough, 2009). Stark (2012) suggests prevalence of CC peaks during adolescence
and early adulthood because of lack of knowledge and increased acceptance of coercively
controlling behaviours. CC can also be misinterpreted for protection and masculinity (Abbott
et al., 2020;Girlguiding, 2018). This is reinforced by dominant gender stereotypes and societal
expectations, which distort young people’s views of relationships (Abbott et al.,2020;McCarry,
2010). Though the Children and Social Work Act (2017) made it compulsory for schools to
teach Relationship and Sex Education, the guidelines are ambiguous, and the coronavirus
pandemic followed the introduction of the Act, so the success is unclear.
Few studies have explored awareness and understanding of CC in young people. Lagdon et al .
(2023) found 60% of 16-year-olds in Northern Ireland (NI) had not heard of CC, 24% had heard
of it but were unsure, and only 16% had heard of it and knew what it meant. Gender differences
were identified, with 19% of boys reporting having heard of CC (and knowing what it meant),
compared to 13% of girls. However, Lagdon et al.’s research was not representative of other
ages and backgrounds; thus, replication with a more diverse sample is required. Further,
participants were only asked to tick one box which described their knowledge of CC. The authors
recognised the need for qualitative research that explores young people’s understanding of CC
in more detail, including the complex psychosocial factors that may influence it.
Conroy et al. (2023) examined young people’s attitudes towards IPV in the UK, focusing
specifically on the influenceof the perpetrator’s gender. Participants scoreson the Attitudes
Towards Female Dating ViolenceScale (Price et al., 1999) identified young people continue
to accept violent attitudes in relationships, regardless of the perpetrator’s gender,
suggesting minimal understanding of CC. Self-esteem and life satisfaction did not influence
female-perpetrated IPV attitudes. This sample was limited by an overrepresentation of
Caucasian women and was limited to individualsaged 18–28.
Qualitative studies about coercive control
A small number of qualitative studies have explored young people’s understanding of
unhealthy relationships. In a UK-based study, 13 focus groups explored how CC was
perceived by 13–18-year-olds (57 girls, 28 boys) (Abbott et al.,2020). Participants
explained that CC occurred in times of uncertainty as individuals were competing for their
partners, often resulting in jealousy and possessiveness. Further, they reported that girls
can be “needy”, whereas boys try to gain ownership. Abbott et al. recommended
educational settings deconstruct heteronormativity and normalise CC. However, this
research does not explore the sources from which young people have gained their
understanding and was limited by itsfocus on heterosexual relationships, as well as the risk
of social accessibility in focusgroups (Smithson, 2000).
Future research should not limit the discussion to CC in heterosexual relationships and
consider alternative methods for data collection, including one-to-one interviews and non-
invasive methods such as public tweets and comments. There has been a growing
inclination for the latter, specifically in research about sexual violence (e.g. Stewart et al.,
2024;Sowersby et al., 2022), and it has been credited for its accessibility, usefulness, and
ethical approach (Thornton et al., 2023); however, it is likely a less conducive method to
explore how young people gain their understanding as it does not allow for specificity and
deeper insight into this less discussedtopic.
Kedzior et al. (2023) conducted 18 semi-structured interviews with 14–20-year-olds (11 women,
five men, and two trans/gender diverse) in Adelaide, Australia. Participants attributed most of
VOL. 15 NO. 1 2025 jJOURNAL OF CRIMINAL PSYCHOLOGY jPAGE 87
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