No Idle Threat: Coercive Control and Enacted Violence in the Pre-Prison Relationships of Incarcerated Women.

While much research documents physical and sexual abusive experiences in the lives of women prisoners, less is known about their experiences with coercive control. Utilizing Dutton, Goodman, and Schmidt's (2008) measures of coercive control and framed by a feminist pathways approach, this study examines the connections between experiences of coercive control and physical and sexual violence in adult intimate relationships, including how women perceive and respond to experiences of coercion. Findings demonstrate how incarcerated women experience significant levels of control, manipulation, threats, and demands from their partners in relation to personal activities, financial resources, interpersonal interactions, illegal activities, and other areas.