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physical abuse is deliberately hurting a child or vulnerable person causing injuries. https://www.nspcc.org.uk/preventing 

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physical abuse is deliberately hurting a child or vulnerable person causing injuries. https://www.nspcc.org.uk/preventing 

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This kind of abuse could take place anywhere and at anytime.
signs may be physical bruising, burn marks, cuts broken bones. response to this issue should be immediate and to your safeguarding officer in accordance with the policy and proceedures of your setting.

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How to know if Coercive control is present

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How to know if Coercive control is present

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What is coercive control?

Domestic abuse isn’t always physical. Coercive control is an act or a pattern of acts of assault, threats, humiliation and intimidation or other abuse that is used to harm, punish, or frighten their victim.

This controlling behaviour is designed to make a person dependent by isolating them from support, exploiting them, depriving them of independence and regulating their everyday behaviour.

We campaigned and succeeded in making coercive control a criminal offence. This has marked a huge step forward in tackling domestic abuse. But now we want to make sure that everyone understands what it is.

Coercive control creates invisible chains and a sense of fear that pervades all elements of a victim’s life. It works to limit their human rights by depriving them of their liberty and reducing their ability for action. Experts like Evan Stark liken coercive control to being taken hostage. As he says: “the victim becomes captive in an unreal world created by the abuser, entrapped in a world of confusion, contradiction and fear.”

How do you know if this is happening to you?

Some common examples of coercive behaviour are:

Isolating you from friends and family

Depriving you of basic needs, such as food

Monitoring your time

Monitoring you via online communication tools or spyware

Taking control over aspects of your everyday life, such as where you can go, who you can see, what you can wear and when you can sleep

Depriving you access to support services, such as medical services

Repeatedly putting you down, such as saying you’re worthless

Humiliating, degrading or dehumanising you

Controlling your finances

Making threats or intimidating you

You can read more in this article we wrote for The Telegraph

Statistics on coercive control

There were 17,616 offences of coercive control recorded by the police in the year ending March 2019, compared with 9,053 in the year ending March 2018. (ONS, 2019).

The CPS Case Information System recorded 1,177 offences of coercive and controlling behaviour in an intimate or family relationship where a prosecution commenced at magistrates’ cour ts in the year ending March 2019. 97% of defendants prosecuted for coercive and controlling behaviour in the year ending December 2018 were male. (ONS, 2019).

Analysis of Merseyside Police domestic abuse data found that 95% of coercive control victims were women and 74% of perpetrators were men. 76% of coercive control cases happened within an intimate partner context.  The study found that common abusive behaviours used in coercive control included “…use of technology (such as phone trackers, controlling social media usage, barrage of text messages or monitoring phone usage), sexual coercion, monitoring behaviours, isolation, threats, financial abuse, deprivation (depriving access to support) and physical violence (63% of coercive control cases featured reports of physical violence).” (Barlow et al, 2018)

One study of data from the Crime Survey for England and Wales found that women are far more likely than men to be victims of abuse that involves ongoing degradation and frightening threats – two key elements of coercive control. (Myhill, 2015)

Read our blogs on coercive control

Sentences for coercive control must reflect the severity of the crime

10th August 2017

Hilary Fisher, Women’s Aid Director of Research, Policy and Campaigns comments on the recent case of Harley Smith who was convicted of coercive control. “Women’s Aid urgently calls for sentences for coercive control to reflect the severity of the crime and to hold perpetrators accountable, not only to ensure that justice is done but to also improving survivors’ confidence in the criminal justice system and to send a clear message that coercive control is unacceptable and that this crime is taken seriously.”  Read more

Coercive Control: One Year On

Thursday 29th December 2016

Polly Neate, Chief Executive of Women’s Aid, said: “The number of convictions is worryingly low – especially as we know that the vast majority of women experiencing domestic abuse are victims of coercive control. If we can increase the convictions for coercive control, and recognise patterns of perpetrator behaviour – such as those revealed by the Femicide Census – it will have an enormous impact on the reduction of domestic abuse.” Read more

Women’s Aid welcomes coercive control law

29th December 2015

Polly Neate, Chief Executive of Women’s Aid, said: “Women’s Aid and other organisations campaigned to have this recognised in law, and we are thrilled that this has now happened. It is a landmark moment in the UK’s approach to domestic abuse, and must be accompanied by awareness-raising among the public, and comprehensive professional training for all agencies that deal with domestic abuse.” Read more

Watch videos on coercive control

Getting help and advice

If you’re in a controlling relationship and need help, call us for free on the National Domestic Abuse Helpline.

Find out more

If you think your teenage daughter is in a coercive relationship, we’ve created a toolkit to help.

Download toolkit

Find out more about domestic abuse, how to spot the signs of abuse and how to get help and support.

Read more

References

Barlow, C., Walklate, S., Johnson, K., Humphreys, L. and Kirby, S. (2018) Police responses to coercive control. Published online: N8 Policing Research Partnership (156 of the cases studies were listed as S.76 coercive control offences, the data studied were from January 2016-June 2017.)

Myhill, A. (2015) ‘Measuring coercive control: what can we learn from national population surveys?’ Violence Against Women. 21(3), pp. 355-375

Office for National Statistics (ONS). (2019) Domestic abuse in England and Wales: year ending March 2019. Published online: ONS

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Lauren Smith's partner tracked her phone and taught their son to call her offensive names.

Last week, Paul Measor, 35, was found guilty of common assault against her.

But he was cleared of coercive control - after the judge described 24-year-old Lauren of being "strong and capable".

Campaigners say the ruling highlights the lack of understanding around controlling behaviour in relationships - which might not leave physical scars but can still cause huge harm to victims.

So here are the key things you need to know.

What is coercive control?

Coercive control is a kind of domestic abuse, but it doesn't necessarily include physical abuse.

It results in a victim being isolated from their support network and reliant on someone who inflicts acts of assault, threats, humiliation and intimidation.

Professor Evan Stark compares it to being taken hostage: "The victim becomes captive in an unreal world created by the abuser, entrapped in a world of confusion, contradiction and fear."

What are the signs?

Katie Ghosh, chief executive of Women's Aid describes it like this: "If your partner is constantly chipping away at your self-esteem and rubbishing you.

"If they are monitoring who you see, what you wear, where you go and taking away your ability to see your friends and family.

"Financial abuse, controlling and monitoring what you spend, can also be a warning sign."

Here are some examples.

Being stopped from working or going to school/college/university

Having money taken away or controlled

Being isolated from friends and family

Having access to food, drinks and day-to-day products restricted

Having their social media accounts monitored or controlled

Being told what they should wear

Being threatened with violence if they do not behave in a certain way

Having threats made to loved ones or pets

Who can become a victim?

There's a myth that coercive control - and domestic abuse in general - happens to older couples, who might have been together for years.

But that's not the case.

Anyone can be a victim, says Katie: "Domestic abuse knows no age limits. In fact, it's younger women who can be most at risk, particularly if they're in their first relationships."

What does the law say?

Coercive control only became a crime in 2015. It's defined as controlling behaviour that has a "serious effect" on a partner, causing them to fear violence at least twice or causing them serious distress.

But as with many domestic violence crimes, the number of people going to prison is far lower than the number of people accused.

Listen to Newsbeat live at 12:45 and 17:45 every weekday on BBC Radio 1 and 1Xtra - if you miss us you can listen back here.

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How to tell if your partner's controlling you

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Lauren Smith's partner tracked her phone and taught their son to call her offensive names. Last week, Paul Measor, 35, was found guilty of common assault against her. But he was cleared of coercive control - after the judge described 24-year-old Lauren of being "strong and capable".

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Guide on how to see signs of forced marriage and what you can do. Very informative.

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Some triggers that may prompt Forced Marriage:

where the family perceive that the victim's behaviour is starting to disgrace the family honour

where an older child refuses to marry, a younger child may be forced sooner than usual to fulfil the original contract and preserve the family honour

disclosing rape or sexual abuse (being raped may be deemed a bring disgrace to the family and honour can be restored if the victim is married)

the death of one parent leaving the remaining parent or elder family members feeling more pressure to ensure that the children are quickly married off

a young person who comes out as being lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender (LGBT), the family may feel that by forcing the individual into marriage either their sexuality or gender identity will not be questioned

a young person with learning difficulties where the parent will seek out a spouse to care for the victim

a family looking for a long-term carer for a relative with a disability

What You Can Do

Managing cases of Forced Marriage and Honour Based Abuse is all about managing risk and getting the risk assessment spot on. Professionals need to be aware of the potential triggers of FM and the cultural background of the person they are trying to safeguard. Perpetrators will go to great lengths to satisfy their 'honour' and professionals must be acutely aware of this when managing or meeting victims or potential victims of HBA and FM. A great deal of thought needs to be put into how you and the victim will contact each other, what information should be shared with other partners and the potential networks and methods used by perpetrators to locate a victim who they are trying to locate. Getting it wrong could lead to serious and fatal consequences.

It is important to reassure the victim about confidentiality and determine their wishes. If you are the first point of contact, then you need to ensure that you see the person immediately and that the meeting takes place in a safe and private environment. Where at all possible they should be seen on their own, even if they have brought someone with them. However, this must be balanced with the victims wishes and it is better to get a disclosure with another person present, rather than the victim lose immediate confidence in you because you have excluded their 'emotional crutch'. It must be made clear to the companion that confidentiality is key.

There may be language barriers. Professionals should be mindful that FM is complex and steeped in a community's culture. Therefore, victims who are willing to talk to the authorities may not necessarily want to be interviewed by a professional or have an interpreter present from their own community. When using, an interpreter ensure that they are official and from the national register. Brief the interpreter as to what you expect, discussing and stressing the importance of confidentiality. Where possible the Interpreter should have had some training in FM and HBA. Unless the victim indicates otherwise the interpreter and any other person in the room (appropriate adult) should be gender specific. Privacy and a comfortable environment should be key features with Achieving Best Evidence (ABE) 'Comfy Suites' or 'Child Houses (based on the Icelandic Barnhaus model) being the preferred option.

You should gather all the relevant information and carry out initial actions, including:

establish whether there is a history of forced marriage within the family.

establish the specific detail of the victim's case. Has the marriage already taken place or is the marriage impending?

does the victim fear being taken abroad?

how does the victim perceive the risk to themselves?

has any form of abuse taken place and if so how has it manifested itself - physical, mental cruelty, threats, surveillance etc.

if abuse has taken place, has the victim any injuries, old or new. Does the victim need a medical examination? If there is going to be a criminal enquiry, the police should have primacy for arranging any medical examination and it should be carried out by someone qualified in gathering medical/forensic evidence.

obtain a family tree - what is the makeup of the victim's family and the family of the husband/proposed spouse (if known). Include other significant people in the victim's life, what role do/did they play in the marriage and what potential risk do they pose to the victim? Obtain as much details as possible about them. Include the name of the spouse's father.

establish who else within the family may also require safeguarding.

establish what the victim wishes to do moving forward. Has the victim left the home, planning to leave or not yet ready to do so?

ensure a safety plan is in place - what will the victim do in an emergency?

if the person consents then refer them to appropriate support and counselling groups.

photocopy important documents - birth certificate, driving licence, immigration documents. benefit books, cheque books, debit and credit cards. Copies should be deposited with police, Social Care, solicitor or a trusted 3rd

advise them to speak to a solicitor specialising in domestic abuse.

contact and discuss the case with the Forced Marriage Unit (see below).

make the appropriate adult or children safeguarding referrals and initiate local safeguarding procedures.

If a person fears being taken abroad for Forced Marriage, where at all possible obtain the information below and provide the following advice:

advise them not to travel overseas and discuss with them, whether there is any other option but to travel. Inform them that once abroad their situation will become much more difficult for them to manage and for the authorities to act. Point out that they will become isolated, may be kept under constant surveillance and chaperoned. They may have their documents, finances, mobile phone/tablets taken from them. Explain that they may be held against their will, potentially being moved from one place to another, not knowing where they are, making escape more difficult.

record the address where they may be staying overseas. If this is a remote place, then consider using landmarks and places of interest in the locality.

record details of any travel plans, flight details, estimated return date, passport, people likely to accompany them (where possible make a copies of tickets/documentation).

leave the above details with a trusted friend and with the interested authorities/agencies.

obtain the date of the proposed wedding and location (if known).

advise them to take a secret emergency kit - cash in sterling and in the local currency, a mobile phone with international credit, copies of identity documents/tickets, list of emergency contact numbers (victims should also memorise numbers).

agree and record information specific to the victim and that only they will be aware of. This may aid identification where someone masquerades as the victim, either on the phone or in person at a British Embassy/Consulate or home.

establish the contact details of the British Embassy or High Commission at destination and memorise the contact details and location.

advise them to contact the Forced Marriage Unit for advice.

Overseas Assistance - For British nationals or, in certain circumstances EU or Commonwealth nationals, British Embassies and High Commissions through the FCO can provide aid. This can include trying to find a place of safety, arranging repatriation, providing a loan of money for a ticket (if they have no one to help financially), and supplying a British National with Emergency Travel Document.

Immigration Issues - If the victim is not a UK citizen their right to remain will depend on several factors. They may be able to apply for indefinite leave to remain (ILR) on the basis of forced marriage or the marriage has broken down. Different rules may apply to differing circumstance and factors include:

how long they have been in the UK

involvement of any children

whether they are a spouse or partner of a British or settled citizen

whether they are in UK as the family member of a citizen of the European Union and whether the victim is eligible to apply under the 'domestic violence rule'. This point is a complex area and we recommend that you advise the victim to get independent legal advice. The 'Rights of Women' charity is just one website where a victim can seek advice on Immigration and Asylum

Children - Where professionals are dealing with a victim who is a child, then legislation under the Children Act 1989 will offer options to safeguard the child e.g. Emergency Protection Order.

Victim Care - Victims of Honour Based Abuse and Forced Marriage are entitled to an enhanced service under the Code of Practice for Victims of Crime. In most cases, victims of HBA will be entitled to Special Measures e.g. give evidence behind screens or via a live video link, a 'supporter' such as an Independent Domestic Violence Advisors (IDVA).

Risk Assessment - As a professional, your agency should already have a bespoke HBA and FM risk assessment framework in place. This may be the DASH Risk Assessment which is used to assess the risk to the victim and develop a safeguarding plan. The H-DASH Screening Questions have been specifically designed for Honour Based Abuse and are available on the Dash Risk Model website. They include questions such : - I s the victim being held/kept at home or behaviour/activity being policed? Is the victim frightened of being forced into a marriage?

Professionals should never:

take the risk lightly or send any potential victim away or make a 'future' appointment for them. In FM and HBA cases professionals may on have 'one chance' to safeguard the victim. If the victim doesn't get the appropriate response and support at the time, then you may not have a further opportunity and the consequences could be fatal.

approach members of the victim's family or community and attempt mediation or family counselling, either yourself or through a professional/religious group. This will significantly increase the risk to the victim, alert the family and ensure that any further offending will be masked from the authorities, e.g. the victim taken abroad.

persuade or send the victim back to their family where the victim has expressly said he/she cannot return. Don't assume there is someone in the family that will protect the victim even if the victim has indicated there is such a person.

make direct contact with a British Embassy or overseas authorities without first liaising with the Forced Marriage Unit.

attempt telephone contact with the person on the telephone to find out if they are being held against their will.

Professionals should make themselves aware of the many complex methods employed by families to trace victims if they have managed to escape from their situation. We will feature some of these methods in our forthcoming Honour Based Abuse article.

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Forced Marriage - signs and tactics | Safeguarding Hub

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Some triggers that may prompt Forced Marriage: where the family perceive that the victim's behaviour is starting to disgrace the family honour where an older child refuses to marry, a younger child may be forced sooner than usual to fulfil the original contract and preserve the family honour disclosing rape

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A useful resource from the Education and Training Foundation on addressing cyberbullying

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Very comprehensive guide to addressing bullying, includes ideas for implementing anti-bullying campaigns in the classroom

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Bullying advice for schools | Bullying UK

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Find out more about how to deal with bullying at your school.

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My research into bullying including useful links

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A really good resource on spotting, preventing and resolving bulling in FE settings

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Kerry Washington On Financial Abuse & Violence

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A five minute educational film aiming to bring awareness to the subject of financial abuse. Completed at the University of Sunderland for the REACH charity foundation, in partnership with Northumbria Police. Edited by Joe Helyer. "Crossing the Divide" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

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http://www.nhs.uk/Conditions/female-genital-mutilation/Pages/Introduction.aspxhttp://www.nhs.uk/Conditions/female-genital-mutilation/Pages/Introduction.aspx

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Fabricated and induced illness, this could be fabrication or exaggeration of a previous illness used for altierier motives.
Signs could be where the person has no signs that reflect their illness.

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Financial exploitation occurs when a person misuses or takes the assets of a vulnerable adult for his/her own personal benefit.

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Protect yourself and others from abuse | Relationships and family | Age UK

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Elder abuse can take many forms, including financial, emotional, physical and sexual. Find out what elder abuse is and some examples of abuse.

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Sexual exploitation

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sexual exploitation facts

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Explanation: In 2016 the National Referral Mechanism (NRM) received a total of 3,805 referrals of potential victims of trafficking. 1,278 (34%) were children under the age of 18. The most prevalent exploitation types for children believed to have been trafficked were labour exploitation (37% of all children believed to have been trafficked) and sexual exploitation (28%). The exploitation type of 27% of children believed to have been trafficked was recorded as unknown.

Child trafficking is the recruitment and movement of children for the purpose of exploitation and is a form of modern slavery.

Figures used are from NRM data. NRM is a victim identification and support process that is designed to make it easier for all the different agencies involved in a modern slavery case (for example, the police, UK Visa and Immigration, local authorities and NGOs) to cooperate, share information about potential victims and facilitate their access to advice, accommodation and support.

These figures are likely to be under-estimates due to the difficulties in recognising and understanding that individuals have been victims of trafficking. It is also not mandatory for a professional to make a referral to the NRM.

See also Indicator 19 in How safe are our children? 2017

Find out more about the National Referral Mechanism.

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Explanation: In 2016 the National Referral Mechanism (NRM) received a total of 3,805 referrals of potential victims of trafficking. 1,278 (34%) were children under the age of 18. The most prevalent exploitation types for children believed to have been trafficked were labour exploitation (37% of all children believed to have been trafficked) and sexual exploitation (28%).

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https://www.nspcc.org.uk/preventing-abuse/child-abuse-and-neglect/neglect/

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Something I found on social media relating to 'my body rules'; although it's aimed at younger children is still a step towards preventing sexual abuse.

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https://www.google.co.uk/amp/www.chroniclelive.co.uk/news/north-east-news/harrowing-video-online-grooming-every-12406140.amp?client=safari

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https://www.google.co.uk/amp/www.independent.co.uk/news/education/education-news/two-children-in-every-classroom-go-hungry-as-neglect-takes-its-toll-7912679.html%3Famp?client=ms-android-samsung

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Hi