Coercive control of older adults: A type of elder abuse

Coercive control is widely discussed in the intimate partner violence literature, but has been underexamined by those concerned about elder abuse. As populations age and more people live with chronic illness, disability, or social isolation, it is important to understand this form of abuse and develop effective prevention, detection, and intervention strategies.

Originally published in the NGO Committee On Ageing New York Newsletter.

What Coercive Control Looks Like for Older Adults

Coercive control is a pattern of acts and behaviours used by an abuser to limit another person’s freedom and control their life. When the victim is an older adult, the tactics often exploit age‑related vulnerabilities—declining health, reduced mobility, cognitive changes, or dependence on others for daily needs.

Common tactics include:

• Isolation — restricting access to friends, family, transportation, or communication devices under the guise of “protecting” the older adult.
• Financial manipulation — controlling bank accounts, pressuring for changes to wills or property titles, or withholding money needed for basic care.
• Medical control — limiting access to medications, appointments, or assistive devices to create dependency.
• Threats and intimidation — using fear of abandonment, institutionalization, or loss of independence to force compliance.
• Information control — withholding mail, hiding diagnoses, or misrepresenting what professionals have said.
• Gaslighting — undermining the older adult’s confidence in their memory or judgment, especially when cognitive decline is present.

These behaviors rarely appear in isolation. They accumulate, creating an environment where the older adult feels trapped, dependent, and unable to assert their rights.

Why Older Adults Are Especially Vulnerable

Several structural and social factors make older adults susceptible to coercive control:

• Dependence on caregivers — needing help with transportation, finances, or personal care can shift power dramatically.
• Ageism — society often dismisses older adults’ concerns, making it easier for abusers to operate without scrutiny.
• Cognitive impairment — dementia or mild cognitive decline can be exploited to discredit the victim.
• Social isolation — shrinking social networks reduce opportunities for outside detection.
• Intergenerational dynamics — adult children or relatives may feel entitled to control finances or decision‑making.

These vulnerabilities do not cause abuse, but they create fertile ground for coercive control to take root.

Who Are the Perpetrators?

Unlike intimate partner violence, coercive control of older adults may involve a wide range of perpetrators:

• Adult children who feel entitled to assets or resent caregiving responsibilities
• Spouse or partner, including long‑term relationships where abuse escalates with age
• Other relatives who assume informal power or try to
• Paid caregivers who exploit their access
• Trusted professionals such as financial advisors or neighbors

The common thread is access, trust, and an imbalance of power.

How Coercive Control Harms Older Adults

The consequences may include:

• Psychological harm — anxiety, depression, learned helplessness, and loss of identity
• Physical harm — neglect of medical needs, malnutrition, medication mismanagement
• Financial devastation — loss of savings, property, or income
• Erosion of autonomy — inability to make decisions about daily life, health, or relationships
• Increased mortality risk — research consistently links elder abuse to higher rates of hospitalization and death

Coercive control is not merely “family conflict” or “caregiver stress.” It is a systematic violation of human rights.

Why Coercive Control in Older Adults Is Often Missed

Professionals may overlook coercive control because:

• It rarely involves visible injuries
• Older adults may fear retaliation or institutionalization
• Abusers often present as “helpful” or “devoted” caregivers
• Cognitive impairment can make disclosure fragmented or inconsistent
• Systems (healthcare, legal, social services) often focus on single incidents, not patterns

What Effective Intervention Looks Like

Addressing coercive control requires a multi‑layered approach:

• Trauma‑informed screening in healthcare, home‑care, and social services
• Legal protections such as restraining orders, guardianship oversight, and financial safeguards
• Caregiver support to reduce stress without excusing abuse
• Community engagement to reduce isolation
• Education for professionals on recognizing non‑physical abuse

Interventions must prioritize the older adult’s autonomy and preferences, not simply remove them from their environment.

A Call to Recognize Coercive Control as Elder Abuse

Coercive control is not a private family matter. It is a form of elder abuse that undermines autonomy, safety, and dignity. As societies age, failing to recognize and address this pattern of harm will leave countless older adults vulnerable.

Coercive Control of Older Adults as a Criminal Offence: The International Legislative Landscape

England and Wales were the first jurisdictions to criminalize coercive control in situations beyond intimate partner relationships. Through passage of section 76 of the Serious Crime Act in 2015 the offence covers controlling or coercive behaviour in an intimate or, a family relationship. The Domestic Abuse Act of 2021 removed the requirement that the parties live together, so that post-separation abuse is included. The Victims and Prisoners Act of 2024 is especially noteworthy because it can in principle apply to an adult child or other relative who coercively controls an older adult.

Scotland and Ireland were next to criminalized coercive control through section 9 of the Domestic Violence Act of 2018. Scotland’s Domestic Abuse Act of 2018 is widely regarded as the strongest internationally because it integrates physical and non-physical abuse into a single offense. However, the reach is only to current and former intimate partners.

In Australia, New South Wales (NSW) criminalized coercive control of intimate partners in 2024,

and the government has committed to reviewing the legislation this year to consider whether it should be expanded to other types of relationships. Queensland, in 2025 criminalized coercive control in domestic relationships, broadly defined as intimate personal relationships, family relationships, and informal care relationships. Like England & Wales, family relationships were included from the outset.

Canada’s Elder Justice Coalition, an ad hoc group of 17 organizations from across the country has called for legislation to protect victims of elder abuse. Offences include controlling social interactions, finances or property, taking of medications and access to health services, and controlling access to their spiritual/cultural community. Bill C-16, introduced in 2026 includes a coercive control offence currently framed around intimate partners. Elder abuse advocates have argued that this excludes the most common form of coercive control experienced by older adults, which is that exerted by adult children or other relatives not a partner. There is a commitment to reexamine the legislation in five years and the need to broaden its reach which advocates consider too long to wait for action that is needed now.

In Canada and elsewhere the legal innovation of the past decade has been to make the pattern of coercive control itself the offense, rather than waiting for discrete assaults that criminal law could already reach. But recognition in law is not the same as protection in practice. International ageing-rights organizations as well as local on-the-ground individuals, agencies and organizations need to recognize coercive control as a unique form of elder abuse not just one manifestation of psychological abuse and work towards its prevention and mitigation.