Coercive control, also known as psychological abuse, emotional abuse, mental torture and patriarchal or intimate terrorism, is a concept used to describe the broad context of intimate partner abuse. Buzawa, Buzawa and Stark (2017: 105) describe coercive control as ‘a strategic course of gender-based abuse in which some combination of physical and sexual violence, intimidation, degradation, isolation, control and arbitrary violations of liberty are used to subjugate a partner and deprive her of basic rights and resources’. Coercive control is a gendered pattern of abuse: it refers to control and coercion exercised over women by a male (current or former) intimate partner. Stark (2009) argues that coercive control is the primary strategy used by men to subordinate female intimate partners. Research into coercive control in same-sex relationships remains limited. The theory of coercive control stemmed from the realisation that tactics of abuse in intimate relationships and effects on the victim were similar to those found in situations involving, for example, hostages and POWs (see for example Jones 1994; Okun 1986; Serum 1979; Singer 1979). The work of Evan Stark (2007b; 2009) has been key to the subsequent development of the theory of coercive control. (Author's introduction). This is a 2-page brief explaining the concept. Record #6810