Research indicates that suicide threats are frequently employed as a method of coercive control in abusive relationships. This tactic, used to manipulate victims, presents a significant challenge for police. They must balance the mental health needs of the perpetrator with the safety of the victim.
A study by the Australian Institute of Criminology indicates that 39% of women who experience coercive control are subjected to threats of self-harm by their abusers, highlighting the prevalence of this form of manipulation.
Coercive control is a sustained pattern of behavior aimed at dominating and subjugating another individual through psychological and emotional abuse. Evan Stark, who introduced the term, emphasized that coercive control creates an intricate web of entrapment, often more debilitating than physical violence. Stark’s work underscores that this behavior is fundamentally about power and domination, concepts fundamentally at odds with genuine love and care.
Using Suicide Threats for Control
The Domestic Violence Hotline explains that abusers frequently use suicide threats as a powerful tool to control their partners. By threatening self-harm, they aim to prevent their partner from leaving the relationship or to coerce them into returning if they have already left. This tactic plays on the victim’s feelings of love and fear, manipulating their emotions to ensure compliance. The abuser’s threats of suicide can create an overwhelming sense of guilt and responsibility in their partner. It leads them to feel obligated to stay and support their abusive partner. This manipulation not only traps the victim in a cycle of abuse but also reinforces the abuser’s control in the relationship.
Challenges for Law Enforcement
According to Jessica Woolley, PhD candidate in Criminology at Deakin University, the intersection of mental health and domestic abuse is a complex issue for police. It requires a careful balance between addressing suicidal threats and protecting victims.
In Victoria, Australia, police have two primary legislative avenues: mental health laws and family violence legislation. Under mental health laws, individuals can be placed under hospital care to prevent self-harm. Family violence legislation allows police to issue safety notices, imposing conditions to protect the victim.
Victoria lacks formal protocols guiding police on handling family violence incidents involving suicide threats. Consequently, officers rely on personal experience and judgment. In contrast, Queensland offers a framework for managing such situations, focusing on immediate risk management and referral pathways.
Suicide Threats and Their Unintended Consequences
In cases where there are threats of suicide, police officers often prioritize addressing the perpetrator’s mental health, leading to hospital assessments. However, when perpetrators are hospitalized, police cannot issue family violence safety notices. Notifications from hospitals about a perpetrator’s release are inconsistent, leaving gaps in protection and accountability.
This situation places victims at increased risk, as abusers may return to the community without restrictions, continuing their abusive behavior. Some officers reported instances where perpetrators were released without any protective orders, underscoring the potential danger to victims.
Balancing Risks and Improving Response
Certain police stations are revising their approaches to address these challenges. One suggestion is to issue family violence safety notices before hospitalizing a perpetrator. Enhancing police training to balance the mental health needs of perpetrators with the safety of victims is crucial. However, police efforts alone cannot bridge the service gap.
Improved communication and collaboration between hospitals and police are essential to ensure timely issuance of safety notices. Regardless of whether suicidal threats stem from genuine mental health issues or are used as manipulative tactics, police must identify when it is being used in the context of domestic abuse.
Moving Forward
Addressing the intersection of domestic abuse and mental health requires continued research and learning. Protecting victims and holding perpetrators accountable demands a multifaceted approach, involving legal, health, and community support systems working in unison.
By enhancing our comprehension of coercive control and its manifestations, including suicide threats, we can better support those affected.
Featured image: Suicide threats can be a form of manipulation. Source: Rawpixel.com / Adobe Stock.
