Factors unique to immigrant families facing coercive control

Coercive control in immigrant families can be made worse by unique factors that service providers need to be aware of to offer effective support. This section explores the key elements that intensify coercive control within immigrant family systems in Canada.

Migration Challenges

The process of relocating to Canada increases the risk of coercive control due to several vulnerabilities:

• Isolation: New immigrants, especially women, may be cut off from their support networks, making it challenging to seek help and increasing their dependence on abusers.
• Unfamiliarity with Canadian culture and laws: Adjusting to Canadian culture and learning about the laws can be challenging. Abusers may take advantage of victim’s lack of knowledge about their rights and the resources available to them, using this to keep control.
• Manipulating Immigration Status. Abusers may exploit complex immigration laws to exert control over victims, including threats of deportation or other legal consequences.

Cultural Influences on Coercive Control

Cultural and religious traditions can also play a significant role in the normalization of abusive behaviours. While respecting cultural diversity, we must also recognize when certain practices enable abuse:

• Perception of Normality: In some cultures, certain coercive behaviours may be seen as normal or acceptable due to intergenerational trauma or traditional practices. For example, joint accounts are usually common in some relationships, but they can be used as a tool for control. The wife's earnings may go entirely into the joint account, yet she is only allowed to access a specific amount, and only with the husband's approval.
• Gender Roles: Traditional gender roles can be manipulated to maintain control. While these roles are intended to support the mutual partnership, they can be misused to excuse and continue abusive behaviour. For example, in traditional families, the wife and man hold different roles, the wife as a nurturer, and husband as a provider. The husband may start informing the wife that this is her duty religiously and culturally. The mother-in-law may justify her sons controlling tactics, since she is supposed to ‘obey’ her husband.
• Generational Patterns: Trauma and parenting styles passed down through generations can normalize controlling behaviours. This cycle can make it challenging for victims to recognize and resist coercive control, as it may seem like this is "how things have always been done."

Note: Some practices are done because of the respect due to religion and culture and not to control the individual. As service providers, we help clients distinguish between cultural practices and abusive behaviours, prioritizing safety and individual rights.