City Research Online

Abstract

Coercive control is a pattern of acts of assault, threats, humiliation, intimidation, or other abuse that is used to harm, punish, or frighten a victim and can exist in a relationship with or without violence (Stark, 2007; Pitman, 2017). Limited research has explored how some perpetrators harness religious belief to underpin and justify all aspects of their coercion (Sharp, 2014), terming this religious coercive control. This study explored the lived experience of 11 women from Christian families of origin who were raised under religious coercive control (RCC) and emerged from the controlling environments. While most coercive control research has focussed on intimate partner relationships, scant research extending to minors indicates it is a multi-stranded form of abuse (Katz, 2022), suggesting abuses of religion should be legally recognised as part of coercive control (Mulvihill et al., 2023). The sample of 11 participants was collected via recruitment fliers posted to social media and via the snowball method. Semi-structured interviews were carried out online. Transcribed interviews were analysed using IPA protocol (Smith et al., 2022), producing five themes: Experiencing RCC, Individual Differences of Parents in RCC, The Process of Leaving RCC, The Lasting Impact of RCC, and Rebuilding a Life after RCC. A key factor in religious coercive control of girls and women was the emphasis on traditional gender roles, limiting the freedoms and expectations of girls and women and subjugating them to authority figures, especially men. Frequently, women who emerged from RCC experienced lasting grief regarding missed opportunities and developmental milestones even after moving on to fulfilling lives. Findings are discussed in relation to Social Identity Theory (Tajfel & Turner, 1979) and Biderman’s Chart of Coercion (Amnesty International, 1973). Analysis demonstrates these coercion tactics create extreme stress and can lead to acute and chronic physical and mental health problems. Implications for Counselling Psychology are considered. Future research could explore parallel phenomena in other faiths and the perspectives of coercive controllers.

Publication Type:	Thesis (Doctoral)
Publisher Keywords:	Religious coercive control; spiritual abuse; interpersonal violence; religious trauma; Christian fundamentalism; qualitative research; chronic stress / distress.
Subjects:	B Philosophy. Psychology. Religion > BF Psychology B Philosophy. Psychology. Religion > BL Religion B Philosophy. Psychology. Religion > BR Christianity H Social Sciences > HQ The family. Marriage. Woman H Social Sciences > HS Societies secret benevolent etc H Social Sciences > HT Communities. Classes. Races H Social Sciences > HV Social pathology. Social and public welfare
Departments:	School of Health & Medical Sciences > Department of Psychology & Neuroscience School of Health & Medical Sciences > School of Health & Medical Sciences Doctoral Theses Doctoral Theses

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