Coercive Control Is a War of Attrition with Laura Richards
In this episode of Perfect Prey, I’m joined by Laura Richards, a criminal behavioral analyst, former New Scotland Yard specialist, and one of the leading global voices on coercive control. Laura has been instrumental in changing laws on stalking and coercive control in the UK and internationally, and her work has helped shape policy, legislation, and professional practice worldwide.
We explore why coercive control is not about isolated incidents, but a patterned strategy of domination, entrapment, and power imbalance. Laura explains why coercive control is best understood as a war of attrition, how patriarchy and misogyny shape institutional responses, and why women and children are so often disbelieved—even when the evidence is present.
This conversation examines how legal systems, family courts, and law enforcement frequently fail victims and survivors, particularly at the point of separation, when risk escalates most dramatically. We also discuss why coercive control must be criminalized, why gender matters in risk assessment, and how language itself can either obscure or reveal abuse.
What we cover
What coercive control really is and why it’s a patterned form of abuse
Why victims and survivors are often disbelieved by systems meant to protect them
Coercive control as “murders and suicides in slow motion”
The role of patriarchy, entitlement, and power imbalance in abuse
Why separation is the most dangerous time for women and children
How family courts can become a tool of post-separation abuse
Why protecting children requires protecting the non-abusive parent
The urgent need to criminalize coercive control globally
Why listen
If you are a survivor, protective parent, clinician, attorney, advocate, or policymaker, this episode offers critical insight into how coercive control operates beneath the surface of relationships and systems. Laura Richards brings clarity to why abuse is so often minimized, misunderstood, or reframed—and what must change to prevent further harm.
Guest bio (short)
Laura Richards is a criminal behavioral analyst, former New Scotland Yard specialist, and a leading international expert on coercive control, stalking, and violence against women. She helped create the DASH risk assessment model, founded the National Stalking Advocacy Service (Paladin), and played a central role in criminalizing coercive control in England and Wales. Laura is the author of Policing Domestic Violence and host of the Crime Analyst and Real Crime Profile podcasts.
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TEDx Talk: • It’s All Coercive Control | Christine Cocc...
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— Dr. Christine Cocchiola & guest Laura Richards
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