NEWS: CONTROLLING or COERCIVE ABUSE is now a Punishable CRIME Up To 5 Years Prison Term

On the 1st of February 2018, a new bill on psychological abuse has been passed by the Scottish Parliament. Psychological abuse is now a criminal offence that can be persecuted in the criminal court. It is punishable up to 5 years of prison term. This law is designed to protect not just the partners, children, and cohabitants of the abusers, but it is also to protect the ex-partners who may still be subject to being abused by their abusers. It does not matter whether they are living together or not as long as they have or have had an intimate personal relationship, their psychological abusers can be punished by the law.

“The CPS said abuse can include a pattern of threats, humiliation and intimidation, or behaviour such as stopping a partner socialising, controlling their social media accounts, surveillance through apps or dictating what they wear”, The Guardian

Some of the signs of psychologically abuse and coercive control:

1. Isolation

• Restricting victim from contacting their family or friends.

2. Controlling or monitoring daily activities

• Keeping constant tabs on victim by checking what they are doing all the time.
• Checking the victim’s phone all the time to see who they contact or call.
• Forcing the victim to give them the passwords of their phone and social media.
• Monitoring and controlling the social media of the victim.
• Controlling when the victim sleep.
• Controlling what the victim do.
• Controlling who the victim can talk to or contact.

3. Restriction or deprivation of freedom of action

• Making ‘rules’ on whom the victim can talk to.
• Forcing the victim to get constant validation / permission from the abuser for everything.

4. Frightening, humiliating, degrading or punishing

• Threatening the victim to do things that they don’t want to do.
• Name calling the victim.
• Speaking to the victim in a degrading way.
• Guilt-tripping the victim to blackmail them emotionally.
• Punishing the victim when they don’t do what the abuser want in any way.
• Telling the victim that they are useless or worthless.

5. Threatening

• Abuser threatening the victim to reveal or publish anything private.

6. Financial abuse

• Forcing the victim to leave their job or to take up a job they don’t want.
• Not giving the victim money in spousal relationships where they have agreed to share money or joint accounts.
• Restricting the victim’s access to her money / bank account.
  
  

When I read the checklist, it was as if my mind has changed into a broken tape recorder, because my thoughts were as such, “Check, check, check, check, check!!!” I was amazed at how much I have overlooked in my last relationship because I did not realize they were coercive and controlling behaviours. I had no clue it was abuse although it made me feel bad. I was abused psychologically and emotionally and unfortunately I was not able to recognize most of the early signs and I did not take the subtle hints that I saw seriously. I hope that people, especially women will educate themselves by reading up so they can be equipped by the knowledge and the ability of being able to identify the early signs of abuse in their relationships.

The passing of this bill is the beginning of a road to a better world. This is a great momentous move and I am glad to see that people are beginning to see how damaging psychological abuse is that it is now classified as a crime. I am happy to see that finally justice can be served to women who suffered in silence. They have been wronged and their controlling and insidious abusers will not go unpunished for their cruelty. Scotland has made the first move and I hope that it will be adapted by the rest of the world soon. This surely will be a milestone in the timeline of protecting the victims and survivors of abuse.

Sources:

Psychological abuse to be criminalised in Scotland
Psychological abuse within a relationship to become a crime
Controlling or coercive domestic abuse to risk five-year prison term
Domestic abuse: Everything you need to know about the new psychological abuse law

Learn the early signs of abuse / Get Support:

The National Domestic Violence Hotline
Domestic Violence Hotline: 1-800-799-SAFE (7233)

Malaysia – Women’s Aid Organisation (WAO): +603 7956 3488
(Mon to Sat: 9am - 5pm. Also Tues, Wed and Fri: 7pm - 10pm) or
Whatsapp TINA: +6018 988 8058 (24 hours)

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