€Œi Tried Every Single Thing to Invalidate the Fact That He's Abusive": Coercive Control Among Women from Minoritized Communities

Background: Coercive control is a pervasive yet underrecognized dimension of intimate partner violence, often difficult for both survivors and systems (e.g., legal and social services) to identify. Existing research lacks an intersectional perspective, particularly on immigration and coercive control. A key gap in the literature is understanding survivors’ resistance both during and after the relationship. Using an intersectional feminist phenomenological framework, this study examines coercive control tactics and survivors’ resistance. Specifically, we explore (1) commonalities and differences in coercive control experiences and how intersectional identities (e.g., gender by immigration status) shape these experiences, and (2) how family, social networks, and formal institutions support or challenge survivors’ ability to name and navigate coercive control.

Methods:

Data were drawn from semi-structured interviews with 11 female-identifying, predominantly South Asian immigrant survivors of intimate partner violence (mean age = 46). Participants were recruited nationally using purposive and snowball sampling through agencies and collectives dedicated to ending intimate partner violence. Thematic analysis (Braun & Clark, 2022) was employed, following an iterative process: (1) transcripts were coded using a hybrid deductive-inductive approach, guided by the coercive control literature (Stark, 2007); (2) researcher triangulation (Miles et al., 2019) ensured credibility through team discussions refining code definitions; and 3) codes were condensed into broader themes, with titles developed to capture key concepts and exemplar quotes selected to illustrate findings.

Findings

Three themes emerged from our analysis. Diverse experiences of coercive control encompassed social isolation, intimidation, manipulation across physical, sexual, and emotional domains, and post-separation harassment—manifesting as intentional, repetitive patterns shaped by survivors’ intersectional identities (e.g., male perpetrators using immigration status to further isolate female survivors). Systems impact reflected how families and institutions reinforced gendered victim stereotypes, questioned survivors’ credibility, and delayed critical responses (e.g., prolonged immigration relief, biased legal interventions). Survivors’ resistance was evident in their strategies to ensure safety for themselves and their children, disrupt intergenerational abuse, and support fellow survivors in healing and navigating similar challenges.

Implications for Research and Practice

Our findings highlight diversity in coercive control experiences, which are uniquely shaped by survivors' intersecting identities and contextual circumstances. Increased knowledge of these new forms of violence will help broaden IPV conceptualization, creating culturally and contextually informed screening and safety assessments and enhancing care. Our study findings also point to the need for further research on how system-level biases and responses related to coercive control foster or deter help-seeking and for whom. Research should also explore how coercive control dynamics and tactics change over time as this will ensure service providers are prepared to respond and intervene appropriately. Finally, participants' stories highlight unique forms of resistance to coercive control and victim stereotypes, underscoring the importance of centering survivors' narratives to showcase their agency and autonomy.