Advancing Justice Through Enhanced Assessment: Tools and Frameworks for Identifying Coercive Control (Session 1)

Advancing Justice Through Enhanced Assessment: Tools and Frameworks for Identifying Coercive Control (Session 1)

This session presents cutting-edge assessment tools and interdisciplinary frameworks for identifying coercive control in legal and clinical settings. Diana Griffin and Tracy Shoberg introduce SAFeR Enhanced, a specialized approach for identifying coercive control patterns in child custody decision-making cases, demonstrating how this tool helps legal professionals recognize controlling behaviors that may not be immediately visible through traditional assessment methods. Marie Denis presents collaborative work on co-constructing assessment tools that bridge clinical practice and interdisciplinary approaches, showing how therapists, social workers, and legal professionals can work together to support victims more effectively. These presentations highlight the critical importance of systematic assessment in uncovering the hidden dynamics of coercive control that often remain invisible in conventional evaluations. The session emphasizes practical implementation strategies, addresses challenges in cross-disciplinary collaboration, and provides attendees with concrete tools they can adapt to their own practice settings. This work represents significant advancement in our ability to identify and document coercive control in ways that are both survivor-centered and legally compelling.