Abusive power and control (also controlling behavior and coercive control) is behavior used by an
abusive person to gain and/or maintain control over another person. Abusers are commonly motivated by
devaluation, personal gain, personal
gratification,
psychological projection, or the enjoyment of exercising power and control.[1] The victims of this behavior are often subject to
psychological,
physical,
sexual, or
financial abuse.
In the study of
abnormal psychology, certain
personality disorders display characteristics involving the need to gain
compliance or control over others:[9] There are many different types of personality disorders and they are often characterized by 3 clusters. Individuals with cluster B personality disorders might be more prone to some negative behaviors related to having power and control over others. Cluster B includes narcissistic, histrionic, borderline, and antisocial personality disorder. [10]
Individuals with
antisocial personality disorder tend to display a superficial charm that helps to disarm others, giving a good likable first impression. If someone likes another person, they're much more apt to comply with them. Because they lack empathy, they see other people as instruments and pawns. The effects of this lack of empathy essentially gives them a
grandiose sense of
self-worth. Due to their
callous and unemotional traits, they are well suited to con and/or
manipulate others into complying with their wishes.
Individuals with
borderline personality disorder tend to display
black-and-white thinking and are sensitive to others' attitudes toward them. Being so averse to rejection may give them motivation to gain compliance in order to control perceptions of others.
Individuals with
sadistic personality disorder derive pleasure from the distress caused by their aggressive, demeaning, and cruel behavior toward others. They have poor ability to control their reactions and become enraged by minor disturbances, with some sadists being more severely abusive. They use a wide range of behaviors to inappropriately control others, ranging from
hostile glances,
threats,
humiliation,
coercion, and restricting the
autonomy of others. Often the purpose of their behavior is to control and intimidate others.[12][full citation needed] The sadistic individuals are likely rigid in their beliefs,
intolerant of other
races or other "
out-groups",
authoritarian, and
malevolent. They may seek positions in which they are able to exert power over others, such as a
judge,
armysergeant, or
psychiatrist who misuse their positions of power to control or brutalize others. For instance, a psychiatrist may institutionalize a patient by misusing
mental health legislation.[12]
Law
In
England and Wales, the
Serious Crime Act 2015 created a criminal offence for controlling or coercive behavior in an intimate or family relationship.[13][14] For the purposes of this offence, the coercive behaviour must have been engaged in "repeatedly or continuously".[15] Another element of the offence is that it must have had, or have, a "serious effect"[16] on the victim. One way this can be proved, is that the coercive behaviour can be shown to have caused the victim to fear violence on at least two occasions, or for it to have had, or have, a "substantial adverse effect on the victims’ day to day activities".[17] The prosecution should be able to show that there was intent to control or coerce the targeted person in some manner.[18] In 2019, the UK government made teaching about what coercive control was a mandatory part of the education syllabus on relationships.[19]
In 2019, Ireland enacted the Domestic Violence Act 2018, which allowed for the practice of coercive control to be identifiable based upon its effects on the victim. On this basis, it was defined as 'any evidence of deterioration in the physical, psychological, or emotional welfare of the applicant or a dependent person which is caused directly by fear of the behaviour of the respondent.'.[20]
In the United States, to assist in preventing and stopping domestic violence against children, there have been laws put into place to mandate report in specific professions, such as teacher, doctor, or care provider, any suspected abuse happening in the home.[21]
Family law is mostly under the jurisdiction of state and local governments in the United States. As such, states are unequally tackling coercive control through legislation.
^Larsen, Randy J., and
David M. Buss. Personality Psychology: Domains of Knowledge about Human Nature. New York: McGraw-Hill Higher Education, 2010. ISBN 978-0073370682