Coercive control is domestic violence. When will judges adapt to the new law?

On average in the U.S., more than 1 in 3 women, and 1 in 4 men, will experience physical violence, rape or stalking by an intimate partner, according to the National Domestic Violence Hotline. Nevertheless, when victims turn to family court for protection from their abuser, they often face skeptical judges. And that’s especially true when the abuse doesn’t leave a mark. This is the first episode in a series about the way family courts adjudicate cases that involve a form of domestic abuse known as coercive control, and the advocates and lawmakers who are trying to help victims and their children.

Civic · Liana Wilcox, Sylvie Sturm