Coercive control presents a complex aspect of violence in intimate partner relationships, involving various forms of manipulation, control and restriction of individual freedom. This subtle form of violence is often overlooked, yet it can have serious and long-term consequences for victims. In my thesis, entitled 'Awareness and understanding of the concept of coercive control among professionals at social work centres in Slovenia', I used qualitative analysis to explore the experiences of professionals in the field of intimate partner violence and their attitudes towards the explicit prohibition of the concept of 'coercive control', which is already legalised in some countries as a specific form of violence in intimate partner relationships. I have broken down the theoretical part into an overview of the different aspects of violence in intimate-partner relationships, including psychological, physical, sexual, economic violence and the concept of coercive control, which is specifically highlighted. I further presented the relevant legislation on domestic violence in Slovenia. The role of Social Work Centres in the prevention of domestic violence was also discussed, together with examples of good legislation on coercive control in different countries. The following section presents the qualitative data that I obtained through semi-structured interviews with the six research participants, using the interview guidelines. The themes I explored were the recognition of intimate partner violence among practitioners, perceptions of the most common forms of intimate partner violence, personal, organisational and systemic barriers to working in the field of intimate partner violence, and the impact of the explicit prohibition of coercive control on the treatment of intimate partner violence. The qualitative data analysis was followed by a write-up of the results and a discussion to answer the research questions. This is followed by conclusions and suggestions. The exploration of the above-mentioned themes seemed to me to be crucial for a better understanding of 'covert violence' in intimate partner relationships and for the identification of gaps in practice and legislation that can contribute to improving the protection of victims and the competence of professionals in the field of domestic violence. I felt that my research would help to identify the individual needs of victims, provide guidance for future studies and practice, and contribute to the development of more tailored and effective approaches to the treatment of victims.
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