The aim of this research group is to support and advance interdisciplinary research exploring the psychological, social, and legal dimensions of coercive control, gender-based violence, and collective or group-based harm.
Our group provides a collaborative platform for researchers across Psychology, Law, Forensic and Social Sciences to investigate how systems of power, coercion, and group-based violence impact mental health and wellbeing.
We explore a range of issues including ‘honour’-based abuse in all its forms, such as Female Genital Mutilation (FGM), forced marriage, child marriage, and so-called honour-killing. Our research also encompasses domestic abuse, coercive and controlling behaviour within high-control groups (e.g., religious, ideological, or familial communities), and institutional and legal responses to such harm.
Our work considers the experiences of both victims/survivors and perpetrators, encompassing research on trauma, identity, relational dynamics, offender profiles, and risk management. The group also focuses on the development and evaluation of trauma-informed, context-sensitive, and rights-based interventions, as well as prevention and justice strategies.
We aim to generate evidence that informs clinical practice, policy, and public understanding of complex interpersonal and systemic violence.
Main contacts
Staci Weiss
Robert Allan
Relevant publications
- Grendele, W. A., Flax, M., & Bapir-Tardy, S. (2023). Shunning from the Jehovah’s Witness Community: Is It Legal?. Journal of Law and Religion, 38(2), 290-313.
- Grendele, W. A., Bapir-Tardy, S., & Flax, M. (2024). Experiencing religious shunning: insights into the journey from being a member to leaving the Jehovah’s Witnesses community. Pastoral Psychology, 73(1), 43-61.
- Grendele, W., Bapir-Tardy, S., & Flax, M. (2025). ‘‘I'm Dead in God's Eyes, Who's Going to Destroy Me Anyway’-Coping Mechanisms Adopted by Those Shunned from the Jehovah’s Witnesses Community. Mental Health, Religion & Culture.
- Tapia‐Fuselier Jr, J. L., Ray, D. C., Allan, R., & Reyes, A. G. (2022). Emotionally focused therapists' experiences serving interabled couples in couple therapy: An interpretative phenomenological analysis. Journal of Marital and Family Therapy, 48(4), 1206-1225.