- The way in which coercive control presents can vary greatly. However, some indicators may include fearfulness, hyper-vigilance, scripted or rehearsed accounts and sudden withdrawal from services or supportive relationships.
- Victims may experience third-party control over their phones, finances, identification documents, transport or accommodation. It is also common to see strict “rules” dictating clothing, food, sleep or work hours, with punishment or intimidation used when these rules are not followed.
- In cases involving children, signs may include rapid changes in behaviour, secrecy around new “friends” or adults, missing episodes and increased isolation - all of which may reflect grooming, manipulation or growing dependency on the controller.
"Coercive control is the operating system of modern slavery - it maintains compliance without constant physical violence. Our reports make that invisible control visible."
– Daniel Robinson, Director
What is Coercive Control?
- Coercive control is a strategic pattern of intimidation, isolation, degradation, exploitation, surveillance and micro-regulation used to dominate another person.
- It involves restricting autonomy, creating dependency and maintaining power through fear, manipulation and the erosion of a person’s freedom and self-determination.
- In modern slavery, coercive control underpins sexual, labour and criminal exploitation as well as domestic servitude; violence may be present, but control often relies on threats, debts, shame, immigration abuse or harm to loved ones.
Who is Affected by Coercive Control?
- Coercive control affects adults and children across all demographics.
- Those with prior trauma, disabilities, insecure immigration status, poverty, social isolation or care-experience are particularly vulnerable.
- Individuals experiencing mental ill health, dependency or unstable housing are also commonly targeted due to increased susceptibility to manipulation and control.
Relationship between Modern Slavery and Coercive Control
- Coercive control is the central mechanism underpinning many forms of modern slavery. It links sexual, labour, criminal and domestic servitude, shaping compliance, delaying disclosure and creating patterns of behaviour often misinterpreted as “choice.”
- Understanding coercive control is therefore essential to recognising exploitation and accurately assessing victim vulnerability in modern slavery cases.
Characteristics of Coercive Control
- Patterned behaviour: ongoing domination through intimidation, isolation, degradation and micro-regulation.
- Psychological over physical control: threats, humiliation or manipulation replace constant violence.
- Surveillance: monitoring of movements, phone use, finances and communications.
- Conditional rewards and punishments: alternating affection, neglect or aggression to enforce dependence.
- Restriction of freedom: rules governing appearance, speech, work or social interaction.
- Gaslighting and distortion: victims made to doubt their perceptions or responsibility for abuse.
- Fear and compliance: victims appear to cooperate or “choose” their situation as a survival response.
- Overlap with exploitation: coercive control is the foundation of many other modern slavery forms, including labour, sexual and criminal exploitation.
Best Practices in Identifying and Acting for Victims of Coercive Control
- Be empathetic and compassionate, building trust with victims and adopting a trauma-informed approach that recognises the fear, shame and dependency created through coercive control.
- Avoid criminalising victims or using victim-blaming language - individuals subjected to coercive control may appear compliant or may remain with the controller due to fear, trauma bonds or lack of safe alternatives.
- Map and log concerns, noting patterns of control such as imposed rules, restricted communication, financial monitoring, or sudden behavioural changes linked to intimidation or isolation.
- Work collaboratively with police, social care, housing, health and voluntary organisations to ensure coordinated safeguarding responses, particularly where coercive control intersects with other forms of exploitation.
- Refer victims to the NRM where coercive control forms part of modern slavery, ensuring timely identification, access to safeguarding measures and the specialist support required to address trauma and risk.
The Law - Section 45 in Coercive Control Cases
- Section 45 provides a statutory defence for victims of modern slavery who commit offences as a direct consequence of exploitation and compulsion.
- Individuals wishing to rely on a defence of modern slavery must meet specific legal criteria. For children, it is not necessary to prove compulsion - only that exploitation occurred. Adults must demonstrate both exploitation and that they were compelled to commit the offence.
- Our experts analyse the circumstances of each case to establish the connection between coercive control and alleged offending behaviour and assess whether the criteria have been met.
What is the Role of an Expert Witness in a Coercive Control Case?
- We provide independent, evidence-based assessments of coercive control indicators in legal cases.
- Our reports explain patterns of intimidation, isolation, surveillance, imposed rules and psychological domination, and how these shape behaviour, decision-making and compliance.
- We assess vulnerabilities, trauma responses and the wider context of coercive control to help courts understand how fear, dependency and manipulation can directly influence alleged offending and complicate disclosure.
Step-by-Step Process for Instructing a Coercive Control Expert Witness
- Contact us to discuss the specifics of the case.
- Agree on the scope of the report and deadlines.
- Provide relevant case files, including prosecution evidence, social care or safeguarding records, medical or psychological reports, digital evidence showing patterns of control, and NRM documentation where applicable.
- We review all available evidence, assess the individual where possible and produce a detailed expert report outlining indicators of coercive control and its impact on behaviour, vulnerability and decision-making.
- We attend court hearings to present our findings where necessary, providing clear, impartial evidence to assist the court in understanding coercive control dynamics within the context of modern slavery.
Tips on Instructing a Coercive Control Expert Witness
- Provide clear instructions and all relevant evidence, including police reports, exhibits, digital communications and social care or safeguarding records.
- Instruct a psychologist or psychiatrist to assess trauma, cognitive vulnerabilities and mental health needs, particularly in cases involving children or individuals with complex needs.
- Allow sufficient time for detailed analysis and report preparation, ensuring the expert can review all available disclosures and assess the individual where appropriate.
Founded by Dr Grace Robinson in 2019.
OUR PRIMARY AIM IS TO SUPPORT VICTIMS AND INCREASE AWARENESS OF MODERN SLAVERY.