Text mining police narratives of domestic violence events to identify coercive control behaviours

Link to Report Summary: 

Release date: Tuesday 26 September 2023

New research by the NSW Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research (BOSCAR) has investigated the prevalence of coercive control behaviours in domestic violence (DV) incidents reported to NSW Police.  The study finds that 57% of DV offence reports include reference to at least one coercive control behaviour.   

The most common forms of coercive controlling behaviours recorded are:   

  • Property damage and theft (present in 26% of DV events recorded by police),  
  • Intimidation and threats (24%) and 
  • Verbal abuse (23%).   
In the context of domestic violence, coercive control relates to abusive behaviours which can exert domination and control over another person. This study used a text-mining approach to search the narrative description of police DV reports for mention of coercive control behaviours.    

Other findings include: 
 
  • 10% of all DV events include reference to threats to harm, and 6% included reference to threats to kill; 
  • a small number of events include threats to sexually assault (0.2%), threats to take children away (0.1%) and threats to harm animals (0.1%); 
  • 6% of DV events include reference to harassment.  Where it occurs, this is usually by phone (32%) or text message (26%); 
  • other coercive control behaviours detected in low numbers include: control over finances, isolation from friends and family and surveillance by tracking device.  

Executive Director of the NSW Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research, Jackie Fitzgerald, says the study indicates that the baseline for coercive control behaviours in DV events is high.  "Findings suggest that the majority of DV assaults and breach Apprehended Domestic Violence Order offences involve coercive control elements.  We will closely monitor DV charges and patterns as coercive control becomes a standalone criminal offence in July 2024."  

Further enquiries:  Jackie Fitzgerald, Executive Director, 0423 139 687  
Email: bcsr@justice.nsw.gov.au   
Copies of the report: www.bocsar.nsw.gov.au  

Last updated:

13 Jun 2024