The overspill of harm: extending the framework of coercive control to co-victims of intimate partner homicide

Purpose Co-victimisation is underexamined across all crime types, but is particularly important to the study of victimisation and harm. While some research covers co-victims of intimate partner abuse, there is limited focus on co-victims of intimate partner homicide. The purpose of this article is to apply co-victims’ experiences of harm to the framework of coercive control to document their experiences, using real-life cases in its application. Design/methodology/approach This article draws on cases from unstructured interviews with eight families bereaved by intimate partner homicide, using a qualitative feminist approach which centralises women’s experiences in the wider androcentric landscape. Using interview data interpreted through thematic analysis, this article synthesises themes and context to build cases to highlight how co-victim experiences can be related to coercive control. By situating the experiences of co-victims, this article shows that harm does overspill to them, often when they are supporting loved ones through their own experiences of harm. Findings This article shows that the concept of coercive control can be applied to co-victims of intimate partner homicide, with a specific focus on intimidation. It argues that intimidation tactics such as active threats, stalking and gaslighting can overspill to them. Such a finding is important in terms of support provision and criminal justice professionals’ understandings of coercive control. Originality/value This article offers an original contribution by extending the concept of coercive control beyond initial victim-survivor(s) to co-victims of intimate partner homicide. It highlights the nuance and impact in co-victim accounts and situates co-victims within the broader study of victimisation and harm, which tends to negate those experiences. Its insights provide a conceptual foundation from which other co-victim experiences can be understood and applied.