ABSTRACT
The chapter aims to provide a greater understanding of the difficulties faced by police officers when investigating coercive control, by reviewing current research and literature. Coercive and Controlling behaviour (CCB) legislation was introduced to close the gaps in the law and deemed a step forward in broadening the response to domestic abuse. Unfortunately, since the introduction of the legislation, successful outcomes through the criminal justice system have not been as frequent or as stringent as hoped, and the positive impact for victims has yet to be fully realised. Hence, understanding the barriers to implementing the through the research was imperative. Qualitative data was gathered from police participants and exposed themes of poor identification of abusive behaviours by officers and victims alike, resulting in limited classifications of CCB as a crime. This evidenced the need for awareness-raising for professionals and the public. The research also highlighted the impact of decreasing police resources. Whilst not innovative findings, the recommendations, and viewpoints from front-line officers for the improvement of policing, could change practice moving forward.
