Incredible women: Legal systems abuse, coercive control, and the credibility of victim-survivors

Ellen Reeves; Kate Fitz-Gibbon; Silke Meyer; Sandra Walklate

doi:10.1177/10778012231220370

Incredible women: Legal systems abuse, coercive control, and the credibility of victim-survivors

Ellen Reeves, Kate Fitz-Gibbon, Silke Meyer, Sandra Walklate

Criminology

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › Research › peer-review

3 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Research has long demonstrated that victim-survivors of intimate partner violence face barriers to being believed when they seek help via the legal system and are simultaneously at risk of their abuser weaponizing the legal system against them. This article draws on the experiences of 54 women victim-survivors of coercive control in Australia who had experienced legal systems abuse within criminal and civil protection order systems. Drawing on feminist legal theory, we highlight that the legal system continues to disbelieve women and validate abusers. These experiences hold implications for victim-survivor views on the merits and risks of criminalizing coercive control.

Original language	English
Number of pages	22
Journal	Violence Against Women
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1177/10778012231220370
Publication status	Accepted/In press - 2023

Keywords

civil protection orders
coercive control
criminal legal system
feminist legal theory
legal systems abuse

UN SDGs

This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

Access to Document

10.1177/10778012231220370

Cite this

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title = "Incredible women: Legal systems abuse, coercive control, and the credibility of victim-survivors",

abstract = "Research has long demonstrated that victim-survivors of intimate partner violence face barriers to being believed when they seek help via the legal system and are simultaneously at risk of their abuser weaponizing the legal system against them. This article draws on the experiences of 54 women victim-survivors of coercive control in Australia who had experienced legal systems abuse within criminal and civil protection order systems. Drawing on feminist legal theory, we highlight that the legal system continues to disbelieve women and validate abusers. These experiences hold implications for victim-survivor views on the merits and risks of criminalizing coercive control.",

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AU - Reeves, Ellen

AU - Fitz-Gibbon, Kate

AU - Meyer, Silke

AU - Walklate, Sandra

N1 - Publisher Copyright: © The Author(s) 2023.

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Y1 - 2023

N2 - Research has long demonstrated that victim-survivors of intimate partner violence face barriers to being believed when they seek help via the legal system and are simultaneously at risk of their abuser weaponizing the legal system against them. This article draws on the experiences of 54 women victim-survivors of coercive control in Australia who had experienced legal systems abuse within criminal and civil protection order systems. Drawing on feminist legal theory, we highlight that the legal system continues to disbelieve women and validate abusers. These experiences hold implications for victim-survivor views on the merits and risks of criminalizing coercive control.

AB - Research has long demonstrated that victim-survivors of intimate partner violence face barriers to being believed when they seek help via the legal system and are simultaneously at risk of their abuser weaponizing the legal system against them. This article draws on the experiences of 54 women victim-survivors of coercive control in Australia who had experienced legal systems abuse within criminal and civil protection order systems. Drawing on feminist legal theory, we highlight that the legal system continues to disbelieve women and validate abusers. These experiences hold implications for victim-survivor views on the merits and risks of criminalizing coercive control.

KW - civil protection orders

KW - coercive control

KW - criminal legal system

KW - feminist legal theory

KW - legal systems abuse

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JO - Violence Against Women

JF - Violence Against Women

ER -

Incredible women: Legal systems abuse, coercive control, and the credibility of victim-survivors

Abstract

Keywords

UN SDGs

Access to Document

Other files and links

The criminalisation of coercive control: a national study of victim/survivors’ views on the need for, benefits, risks and impacts of criminalisation

Cite this

Incredible women: Legal systems abuse, coercive control, and the credibility of victim-survivors

Abstract

Keywords

UN SDGs

Access to Document

Other files and links

Projects

The criminalisation of coercive control: a national study of victim/survivors’ views on the need for, benefits, risks and impacts of criminalisation

Cite this