The article assesses three approaches to domestic violence: two that use the concept of ‘coercive control’ and one that uses ‘domestic violent crime’. These are: Stark’s concept of coercive control; Johnson’s distinction between situational couple violence and intimate terrorism, in which coercive control is confined to the latter; and that of domestic violent crime, in which all physical violence is conceptualized as coercive and controlling. The article assesses these three approaches on seven issues.

Dominant narratives around the links between sexual violence and alcohol or other drug use are often problematic, if not outright victim-blaming. This includes public awareness campaigns that seek to limit women’s freedom of movement and expression through advice to limit drinking or take taxis home from bars, through to jury attitudes that result in women being seen as less ‘reliable’ witnesses in court if they were intoxicated at the time of the offence.

This paper seeks to provide a framework for understanding the nature, and the importance of, specialist organisations which are led by Black and ‘minority ethnic’ (BME) women and which work to address al forms of violence against BME women and girls. We have deliberately chosen to speak in terms of ‘us’ and ‘we’, as recognition that violence against women and girls is widespread and devastating in its effects; and has direct and indirect impacts on the lives of all women and girls. Published by Imkaan. 

Agenda and AVA (Against Violence and Abuse) are delighted to announce the launch of Mapping the Maze, a research project funded by the Barrow Cadbury Trust, looking at what specialist