Are you concerned about a family member or friend?

Dear Residents, 

So, what exactly is ‘Controlling or Coercive behaviour’? 🚫

You may have heard about or seen in the news about controlling or coercive behaviour but never really known what it is and how it might apply to you or someone that you know.  

So, what exactly is it?

Controlling or Coercive behaviour describes behaviour occurring within a current or former intimate or family relationship which:

• causes someone to fear that violence will be used against them on more than one occasion,

• or causes them serious alarm or distress that substantially affects their day-to-day activities.

It involves a pattern of behaviour or incidents that enable a person to exert power or control over another, such as:

• isolating a partner from their friends and family,

• taking control of their finances,

• taking control of their everyday activities like what they wear or who they see,

• or tracking their movements through the internet or mobile phone use.

Gaslighting is another form of emotional abuse that you may of heard that leads a victim to question themselves, their feelings or understanding of a situation and sometimes their own sanity.

An abuser might deny an event ever occurred or tell the victim that it’s in their head and that they got it all wrong, leaving the victim unsure of the truth and questioning their own judgement.

Many people don’t realise but just one incident counts as abuse.

And domestic abuse can affect anyone regardless of ethnicity, age, gender, sexuality or social background.

It may be happening to you, or a friend, a colleague or loved one.

If you are suffering from physical, sexual, psychological or financial abuse, or are being threatened, intimidated or stalked by a current or previous partner or close family member, you are not alone.

You can report it to police via their website www.gmp.police.uk or by calling 101,

For advice & information on domestic abuse: https://www.gmp.police.uk/advice/advice-and-information/daa/domestic-abuse/

Always dial 999 in an emergency.