Coercive and controlling behavior (CCB) isolates and harms victims through psychological abuse and underpins all forms of domestic abuse. It has been a criminal offense in the UK since 2015. However, CCB can be difficult to spot without adequate training, as it does not always involve physical violence and instead focuses on gradually eroding the victim’s autonomy and self-esteem. Perpetrators can be highly manipulative and charming to outsiders, including professionals like social workers.
A recent BBC investigation has revealed significant gaps in the training of social workers on coercive and controlling behavior, a critical aspect of domestic abuse that sometimes makes up 90% of a social worker’s caseload:
The Domestic Abuse Commissioner for England and Wales has described these findings as “baffling” and has called for mandatory levels of coercive-control training for all social workers. Without comprehensive education on CCB, social workers are ill-prepared to recognise the subtle, yet destructive tactics used by abusers, leading to severe consequences for victims.
The consequences of inadequate training are starkly illustrated by cases like those handled by Children Heard and Seen. We have witnessed many occasions where social workers fail to spot coercive controlling behavior and therefore fail to account for it. (Names have been changed for anonymity.)
- Lisa, who endured years of domestic violence and abuse, was told she had to attend mediation sessions with her abuser in the room to show she was cooperating with social services—giving her abuser more opportunity to exert control. Child contact was encouraged and resulted in Lisa having to drop off her children to her abuser’s address.
- Susan‘s ex-partner was labeled as ‘manipulative’ and ‘high risk’ by social services, but she was not informed of this nor were any safeguarding procedures put in place, so she continued to allow child visits. When social services found at child visits were occurring, they attempted to take Susan to an initial child protection conference.
- After reporting a serious assault by her ex-partner, Lucy became subject to unannounced visits by social services and random house searches. This caused her to stop inviting friends and family over, isolating herself at the time she needed support the most. No support was offered to Lucy.
- Jodie had seven social workers within an 18-month period, meaning there was no consistency in their approach and often wildly conflicting advice. After telling Jodie’s abuser that there was nothing wrong with his behaviour, this escalated his behviour and resulted in an altercation that posed a risk to her life. One social worker told her “even murderers get to see their children” after Jodie attempted to remove contact. However, later they threatened to take the children away as Jodie could not ‘protect them well enough’ from their abusive father.
These are just some of the many cases of Social Services failing to identify and support women experiencing coercive and controlling behavior. These cases highlight how this failure can exacerbate the risk and trauma experienced by victims. Instead of offering protection, social services’ actions sometimes inadvertently enable abusers to maintain control or create an environment where women are too scared to ask for help.
When dealing with cases where one misstep can lives at risk it is even more important for the correct specialist training to be given to social workers. Despite its importance, more than a third of accredited university social work courses in England fail to provide specific training on CCB.
In addition to a lack of training, many social workers are overworked, underfunded, and overwhelmed by the sheer volume of cases, making it challenging even for well-trained professionals to spot the intricate and personal nature of CCB in every family.
Finally, Social Services’ child-centered approach presents a grey area in many cases. It is often the priority of social services to maintain child contact when there is no direct risk to the child. While this approach works when there is no danger to the other parent, in cases of domestic abuse, it presents a situation that social workers may not be adequately trained to handle.
In response to these systemic failures, there are growing calls for reform. Domestic Abuse Commissioner Nicole Jacobs has urged mandatory and comprehensive training on CCB for all social workers. This sentiment is echoed by campaigners and advocacy groups who argue that understanding CCB should be a core component of social work education. Social workers need to be trained to be able to spot the signs of CCB and know how to support victims.