Funding Success: £34.2k secured from N8 Policing Research Partnership to investigate digital coercive control and police response
Technological advancements and smart technologies continue to change the nature and impact of interpersonal violence, meaning that whilst the ‘offence’ often remains the same, how abuse is perpetrated changes. Today, technology makes some new forms of abuse easy, instantaneous, and harder to detect.
Dr Antoinette Huber and Professor Barry Godfrey, Department of Sociology, Social Policy, and Criminology, have secured £34.2k funding from the N8 Policing Research Partnership to investigate digital coercive control and the police response. Partnering with the College of Policing, Merseyside Police, Durham Police, and Cumbria Police, this research will contribute to uncovering the nature of digital coercive control, by examining current police responses and identifying areas of improvement.
Recent research has uncovered the intersections between forms of domestic abuse and technology, in which technology is often used to control, intimidate, degrade, and isolate partners. However, police officers have reported a lack of understanding in this area, in relation to the nature of the offence and a lack of confidence with digital data collection.
This study, with Antoinette Huber as Principal Investigator and Barry Godfrey as Co-Investigator, aims to fill the knowledge gap by undertaking research which investigates the nature of digital and electronic coercive control (DECC) and policing response from the perspective of the victims and survivors. The project, entitled ‘What is the nature of digital coercive control; what policing responses exist and where are improvements needed; and what training and tools do police officers need?’, will take place September 2023 – June 2024.
Victim and survivor’s experiences as service recipients of the criminal justice system will provide unique insight into what constitutes effective practice. Following reports of problematic policing responses, the outcomes of this research will provide recommendation for best practice. This will be embedded in police training to upskill officers, to ensure they can effectively respond to the increasing use of digital devices within coercive control, and provide better protection for victims.
Professor Susan Pickard, Head of the Department of Sociology, Social Policy, and Criminology, said:
“To be granted this award is a testament to the supportive research culture we have built up in both the Department and the School in recent years, including the STAR programme and other mentoring and research development structures. I want to wish Antoinette and Barry congratulations as they embark on this research which is set to make real-change in policing training in this area”.