Paradox of Progress: Translating Evan Stark's Coercive Control Into Legal Doctrine for Abused Women

• NCJ Number: 228986
• Journal: Violence Against Women Volume: 15 Issue: 12 Dated: December 2009 Pages: 1458-1476
• Author(s): Cheryl Hanna
• Date Published: December 2009
• Length: 19 pages
• Publication Format: Article
• Publication Type: Research (Theoretical)
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America
• Note: For related articles in this special issue see NCJ-228984-85 and NCJ-228987-89.

Annotation

This article examines Evan Stark's model of coercive control and what this paradigm shift might mean for the law and abused women.

Abstract

Evan Stark's book, Coercive Control: How Men Entrap Women in Personal Life offers a theory of interpersonal violence that is more complex, and arguably more accurate. He illustrates that what is at stake for women in relationships involving interpersonal violence is freedom and autonomy, and the ability to actualize full citizenship. Stark redefines abuse from specific acts of violence, such as domestic violence to "an ongoing and gender-specific pattern of coercive and controlling behaviors that cause a range of harms." However, laws criminalizing domestic violence focus primarily on single incidents of assault and battery, not on the broader range of behaviors. This article explores how the law might incorporate Stark's thesis into legal reform and what the consequences, both intended and untended, might be. References