Controlling or coercive behaviour offences

Published by a ��Ӱ�� Corporate Crime expert

Practice notes

Controlling or coercive behaviour offences

Published by a ��Ӱ�� Corporate Crime expert

Practice notes

This Practice Note considers the offences of controlling or coercive behaviour under section 76 of the Serious Crime Act 2015 (SCA 2015) and causing or allowing a child or vulnerable adult to die or suffer serious physical harm under section 5 of the Domestic violence, Crime and Victims Act 2004.

For information on Domestic abuse, see: Domestic abuse—overview.

Controlling or coercive behaviour offence under the Serious Crime Act 2015

Under SCA 2015, s 76, it is an offence to use controlling or coercive behaviour in an intimate or family relationship where the behaviour has a serious effect on the victim. The offence was created to close a perceived gap in the law relating to patterns of controlling or coercive behaviour that can occur during a relationship between intimate partners, former partners who still live together or family members, where individual instances would not be sufficient to constitute an offence. It also recognises the harm which can be caused by coercion or control, the cumulative impact on the victim and that a repeated pattern of abuse can be more injurious

Jurisdiction(s):

United Kingdom

Key definition:

Domestic violence definition

What does Domestic violence mean?

An act of aggression whether physical or verbal by one person towards another with whom they have, or have had, an intimate or family relationship. Examples of abuse include: physical; emotional; sexual; psychological, or financial.

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