Coercive control

[ErrolTheDragon]

In The Times today: calls for more training of medical and legal professionals to spot gaslighting, and May wants to strengthen the coercive control legislation

www.thetimes.co.uk/article/new-domestic-abuse-law-needs-to-highlight-controlling-partners-jp6tcqws2?shareToken=89edbcede2f744ae3276c6239d44f49e

From the article:

“A clever, charming, manipulative perpetrator may pull the wool over the eyes of the police officer or the judge in the family court.”

This. It's shocking that so many professionals are still so ignorant about this. People with Cluster B personality disorders, or who are high in related traits, can be extremely good at this, and are also very likely to perpetrate abuse of many kinds. And it's not just legal people who are ignorant, it's relationship counsellors, social workers etc. We really need more awareness of this issue generally.

Brilliant. I'm a copper about to return after career break and most of our everyday calls are people with mental health problems and domestic issues so I look forward to learning about this and dealing with manipulative offenders.

It's really heartening to hear from a police officer.

The police in my area are really tuned in on this issue. An officer attended a whole Freedom Programme just to get insight into the situation from the victim's prospective. She was tasked with taking what she learned back to inform others in her team. An excellent example of good practice.

I think the attitudes and knowledge of the police on this issue varies around the country though from what I've heard. Like every thing it depends on individuals with insight and power lower down in the organisation to interpret legislation from the top appropriately and this will vary.

I think it definitely depends on the officer - as a newbie with zero experience of domestic abuse I would simply not have understood it, recognised it, I asked myself the ignorant "why do they stay" about a million times.
It's experience, and reading and insight (especially MN for me!) that helps you learn about it.

Same with MH issues - I have a psychology degree and have huge experience now dealing with MH jobs, but still hear my more junior colleagues say ridiculously insensitive and ignorant things.

We need more training - most of the frontline response bobbies are brand new under 5 years experience and usually young. They don't know what they're doing tbh.

The freedom programme is a great idea. I might ask about that when I'm in.

Really great to hear that domestic abuse is being increasingly recognised in law and also that it’s starting to be taken on board by police.
DontBuyANewMumACashmere Best of luck going back, brilliant to have feminists in the police force!

Great news at last - I hope social media platforms get involved as Cluster B abuse is very evident on them for example weaponising the complaints system by vexatious and mobbing reports, not comprehending covert verbal abuse of undermining, wilful ignoring and deafness plus dismissing. Lastly not comprehending the real harm done by these unscrupulous tactics to women @MNHQ