Coercive control is when your partner or ex-partner:
- Isolates you from your friends and family
- Deprives you of basic everyday needs like food, electricity or heating
- Monitors your online activity, or has installed spyware on your phone, laptop or any other device
- Takes control over aspects of your everyday life, such as where you can go, who you can see, what to wear, when to be home and when you can sleep
- Stops you from accessing support services, such as specialist support or medical services
- Puts you down repeatedly, for example, tells you that you’re worthless
- Enforces rules and activities that humiliate, degrade or dehumanise you
- Coerces you into sexual activity
- Forces you to take part in criminal activity such as shoplifting
- Controls the finances and prevents you from working or having your own money
- Threatens to reveal or publish private information about you, like private photos or videos online.
Coercive control is a criminal offence in Ireland. Read more about coercive control and the law here.