A new domestic abuse law in Britain targets controlling behavior

Domestic abuse can take many forms.

That’s why the law in England and Wales now includes “coercive or controlling” behavior.

People who use threats, humiliation and intimidation to control their partners or family members could face prosecution under legislation which came into effect on Tuesday. These acts can now be prosecuted as a crime punishable by a fine and up to five years in prison.

“The emotional and controlling behavior that really is at the heart of domestic abuse and domestic violence, [victims] weren’t able to get any support from the police or any other agency before it turned to physical violence,” says Polly Neate, chief executive of the British charity Women's Aid. “So they were being told, basically, come back when you’ve been physically attacked.”

Many victims say the trauma from psychological abuse is worse than the trauma of physical abuse.

Authorities say stopping someone from socializing, controlling their social media access or using apps or spyware to put them under surveillance will be covered by the new legislation.

This means that domestic abusers who control their partners through social media accounts like Facebook or Twitter, or spy on them online, could end up in jail.

“The kind of evidence that can be used is things like text messages, evidence of spyware on mobile phones, evidence that you’ve been prevented over time from participating in what everybody would consider to be a normal life,” explains Neate.

The new legislation was created after a majority of people consulted by the government said existing abuse laws did not offer sufficient protection. Polly Neate says that reflects the findings of Women's Aid.

“In the UK, we did a survey of women who are using domestic violence services — so they are the women who have experienced really serious, mostly physical forms of domestic violence — and 95 percent of them had experienced coercive control [by a partner].”