“Slowly, Over Time, You Completely Lose Yourself”: Conceptualizing Coercive Control Trauma in Intimate Partner Relationships

Coercive control is a form of violence characterized by patterns of restrictive regulation, including through isolation, threats, psychological manipulation, economic abuse, technology-facilitated control, stalking, and physical and/or sexual violence. While literature has focused on the diverse forms of control imposed by perpetrators of this abuse, few studies have discussed the traumatic impact of coercive control on victim-survivors themselves. Using a theoretical thematic analysis, this study draws upon data from 15 qualitative questionnaires exploring the lived experiences of women as victim-survivors of coercive control in Australia. The first phase of analysis identified the diverse and interconnected methods of coercive control experienced by participants. The second phase found that victim-survivors who have been subjected to these patterns of harm can experience specific emotional trauma, shaped by processes of threat and restraint. This paper, therefore, proposes the concept of "coercive control trauma" to articulate ways in which coercive control in intimate relationships can contribute to the complex and often under-recognized psychological harm experienced by victim-survivors. The concept of coercive control trauma may provide victim-survivors with validation, insight, and an empowering sense of self-understanding during processes of recovery. It may also assist those who are supporting individuals recovering from coercive control by helping to further comprehend the experiences of victim-survivors, and to provide more appropriate forms of support.