Dec 24

Coercive Control within a family – who is pulling the strings and the Emmerdale effect?

Written by Joanna Lofthouse
Chartered Legal Executive

DDI: 01423 724635
M: 07892 792457
E: jo.lofthouse@raworths.co.uk

It is hard to believe that it is almost 10 years since section 76 of the Serious Crime Act 2015 put the concept of coercive control onto the statute books. Prior to this when we considered abuse within the home the emphasis would often be focused more on domestic violence. Despite this, there was an understanding that abuse within the home was often more nuanced than physical violence and the effect of emotional abuse could often be just as damaging and often more damaging than physical violence.

Following the introduction of the Domestic Abuse Act 2021 it is now widely recognised that domestic abuse takes many forms.

Coercive control and domestic abuse is something being highlighted on Emmerdale at this time by Tom King and his victim wife Belle King (nee Dingle) It really does make very difficult watching, we have seen his behaviour escalate and the pleasure and power Tom exhibits from controlling Belle. We also see the impact that this has on Belle who is becoming more withdrawn, isolated, untrusting of all around her and suffering emotional harm.

As viewers, we see each act that Tom does and we can shout at the TV and find it hard to understand why Belle responds in the way she does. This is the stark difference between TV and the reality of a person living in a controlling relationship in that the control usually takes place behind closed doors. Those around the person subjected to control, often see little or no signs of the behaviour exhibited out of sight and they are shocked and surprised when the house of cards falls and the extent of the control becomes known.

So what is coercive control?

There is no one action or pattern of behaviour but it can include:

• Exacting control to isolate a person from support
• Making a person entirely dependent upon them
• Acts, threats, humiliation or intimidation
• Limiting or monitoring money or access to funds
• Acting a way to make the person question their own views and wheat they believe to be true
• Creating a false reality of contradiction, confusion and fear
• Monitoring of activities
• Increasing controlling the timetable for each day

How to get help?

Those in controlling relationships will often have a false reality, which erodes their confidence and makes decision making harder. Victims of control are often fearful to talk about their experiences however being able to ‘sense check’ a situation can often bring clarity. We see on Emmerdale Belle searching the internet for advice on how to tell family that she is in an abusive relationship.

Sometimes a controlling partner will have pre-empted this and will have repeatedly undermined their partner’s relationship with friends and family thus setting the foundations for their partner to not trust or to question friends and family’s motives if they do not align with the agenda set by a controlling partner.

So where can a victim of control turn?

• It is important to seek specialist advice. An experienced family lawyer will be able to provide guidance through this difficult time along with navigating the practicalities to sense check the reality to beginning to work towards the future.
• Seeking support from domestic abuse charities.
• Consider meeting with a counsellor, therapists and divorce coach.
• In some cases advice may need to be sought from the police.

Joanna Lofthouse is a Family law specialist at Raworths based in Harrogate, North Yorkshire.

Published on 3 December 2024

The information and any commentary contained in this briefing is for general information purposes only and does not constitute legal or any other type of professional advice.