PURPOSE:
This session will draw on findings from a stakeholder and patient experience informed scoping review to consider how midwives can discuss healthy relationships and identify and discuss the experience of coercive control with women in their care.

DISCUSSION:
Coercive control is an aspect of domestic abuse in which a perpetrator seeks to gain and maintain control of a victim. It is a crime in many countries and the EU has reported on the criminalisation of psychological violence in member states (European parliament FEMM committee, 2020), The acts involved in this sort of abuse can vary but may include the control of the victim’s finances and employment, isolating them from others, control of their activities and daily life, for example control of sleep, intimidation, coercion to involvement of the victim in criminality, reproductive coercion and criminal damage (CPS, 2023;Stark, 2019). Coercive control has many negative sequalae, it is a predictor of potential future serious impacts, for example homicide, even in the absence of prior violence (Monckton Smith, 2020) and ongoing mental health impacts for victims and developmental damage for children. Domestic abuse and coercive control are likely to start or escalate during pregnancy; meaning that midwives have an ideal opportunity to open discussions and provide support to victims. Coercive control differs from other forms of abuse because of its hidden and victim specific nature, not only is it difficult to identify from outside but victims may be unaware of what is happening.

EVIDENCE WHERE RELEVANT:
Evidence will be provided resulting from a recently completed scoping review that was informed by midwives and survivors of coercive control.

KEY MESSAGE:
Pregnancy is an ideal time to open discussions with women about healthy relationships and coercive control. Midwives have a key role in doing this but need to be offered support and organisational systems to facilitate this happening. Abuse - domestic violence