51
Kate Amber and Roderick Dubrow-Marshall |An Investigation into the Efficacy of the PsychoSocial Quicksand Model™
healing and empowerment, and inspiring collaboration
and action for change. It should also be noted that the
sample in this study, as self-selecting survivors and/
or professionals, might be more likely to positively
appreciate the model than the general population, and
that the participants who volunteered for an interview
even more so, limitations which future research with a
larger sample can potentially overcome.
Two revealing questions were raised by participants
regarding features of the model. First, can coercive
controllers change, and if so, to what degree? Second,
is all coercive control committed with intention? The
literature reflects the challenges surrounding these
issues, and experts do not agree. Some researchers
believe that coercive controllers have personality
disorders and therefore cannot alter their behavior
and tend to see coercive control as intentional (Brown
&Young, 2018 Simon, 1996). However, many
professionals, especially those in the domestic violence
field, have put considerable effort, time, and money
into batterer intervention and behavior modification
programs, presumably with hopes for positive change
(16Days Newcastle, 2020 Hill 2021 Mandel &Wright
2019).
Thus, a possible implication of the study is that
implementing effective systems for addressing coercive
control may require initiatives created with a spectrum
of coercive controllers in mind. These initiatives employ
a wide array of transformation strategies and offer
tailored options. Arguably, one-size-fits-all programs
are unlikely to effectively address and prevent coercive
control. Furthermore, only after customized options
have been implemented successfully and further
research has been conducted will conclusions about
behavior change for coercive controllers be possible.
Conclusion
Overall, this study indicates that the PSQM is a
potentially valuable psychoeducation-based tool that,
through further development, may equip professionals
with precisely those customized approaches for working
with survivors on their recovery. It furthermore
indicates that a combination of experiences, both in
terms of personal coercive control experience and
professionally, can allow for greater appreciation
of coercive control in all its complexity, and in a
professional environment, can potentially facilitate a
heightened ability amongst survivors to reflect on their
experiences.
PSQM training for professionals could also potentially
address systemic deficits by providing them with
tools to better recognize and prevent coercive control.
Moreover, this approach has the potential to yield
significant improvements across previously siloed
domains. By refining questioning techniques based
on context-inclusion and survivor-centered themes,
professionals may be better positioned to develop
more effective interventions, provide enhanced
support for survivors, and ultimately achieve better
outcomes in both legal and therapeutic contexts. The
study identified systemic collaboration as a key benefit,
which could have a cumulative impact across various
contexts and systems over time. Along with increased
motivation to improve policies and procedures, this
collaborative approach may facilitate a paradigm shift
from an incident-based perspective to a more holistic
pattern-based understanding of coercion and control
across contexts.
Such a shift is crucial as it allows for a more nuanced
understanding of victims’ responses as adaptive
strategies rather than isolated reactions, while
simultaneously recognizing the harmful nature of
perpetrators’ coercive control and the necessity for
intervention. The pattern-based perspective aligns with
recent research emphasizing the limitations of incident-
based models in capturing the ongoing, pervasive
nature of coercive control. By adopting this holistic and
trauma-informed approach, professionals can better
address the psychological manipulation, suppression
of autonomy, and long-term trauma associated with
a pattern of coercive control. Furthermore, this shift
enables a more comprehensive assessment of the
perpetrator’s behavior over time, rather than focusing
solely on individual acts. This further sheds light
on systemic patriarchal practices, which can lead
to institutional betrayal (Smith &Freyd, 2014) and
which frames coercive control as intentional acts of
misogynistic oppression (Schechter, 1982).
The potential for systemic impact through this holistic
approach is significant and aligns with the primary
goal for which the PSQM was developed. By fostering
collaboration among various stakeholders, including
Kate Amber and Roderick Dubrow-Marshall |An Investigation into the Efficacy of the PsychoSocial Quicksand Model™
healing and empowerment, and inspiring collaboration
and action for change. It should also be noted that the
sample in this study, as self-selecting survivors and/
or professionals, might be more likely to positively
appreciate the model than the general population, and
that the participants who volunteered for an interview
even more so, limitations which future research with a
larger sample can potentially overcome.
Two revealing questions were raised by participants
regarding features of the model. First, can coercive
controllers change, and if so, to what degree? Second,
is all coercive control committed with intention? The
literature reflects the challenges surrounding these
issues, and experts do not agree. Some researchers
believe that coercive controllers have personality
disorders and therefore cannot alter their behavior
and tend to see coercive control as intentional (Brown
&Young, 2018 Simon, 1996). However, many
professionals, especially those in the domestic violence
field, have put considerable effort, time, and money
into batterer intervention and behavior modification
programs, presumably with hopes for positive change
(16Days Newcastle, 2020 Hill 2021 Mandel &Wright
2019).
Thus, a possible implication of the study is that
implementing effective systems for addressing coercive
control may require initiatives created with a spectrum
of coercive controllers in mind. These initiatives employ
a wide array of transformation strategies and offer
tailored options. Arguably, one-size-fits-all programs
are unlikely to effectively address and prevent coercive
control. Furthermore, only after customized options
have been implemented successfully and further
research has been conducted will conclusions about
behavior change for coercive controllers be possible.
Conclusion
Overall, this study indicates that the PSQM is a
potentially valuable psychoeducation-based tool that,
through further development, may equip professionals
with precisely those customized approaches for working
with survivors on their recovery. It furthermore
indicates that a combination of experiences, both in
terms of personal coercive control experience and
professionally, can allow for greater appreciation
of coercive control in all its complexity, and in a
professional environment, can potentially facilitate a
heightened ability amongst survivors to reflect on their
experiences.
PSQM training for professionals could also potentially
address systemic deficits by providing them with
tools to better recognize and prevent coercive control.
Moreover, this approach has the potential to yield
significant improvements across previously siloed
domains. By refining questioning techniques based
on context-inclusion and survivor-centered themes,
professionals may be better positioned to develop
more effective interventions, provide enhanced
support for survivors, and ultimately achieve better
outcomes in both legal and therapeutic contexts. The
study identified systemic collaboration as a key benefit,
which could have a cumulative impact across various
contexts and systems over time. Along with increased
motivation to improve policies and procedures, this
collaborative approach may facilitate a paradigm shift
from an incident-based perspective to a more holistic
pattern-based understanding of coercion and control
across contexts.
Such a shift is crucial as it allows for a more nuanced
understanding of victims’ responses as adaptive
strategies rather than isolated reactions, while
simultaneously recognizing the harmful nature of
perpetrators’ coercive control and the necessity for
intervention. The pattern-based perspective aligns with
recent research emphasizing the limitations of incident-
based models in capturing the ongoing, pervasive
nature of coercive control. By adopting this holistic and
trauma-informed approach, professionals can better
address the psychological manipulation, suppression
of autonomy, and long-term trauma associated with
a pattern of coercive control. Furthermore, this shift
enables a more comprehensive assessment of the
perpetrator’s behavior over time, rather than focusing
solely on individual acts. This further sheds light
on systemic patriarchal practices, which can lead
to institutional betrayal (Smith &Freyd, 2014) and
which frames coercive control as intentional acts of
misogynistic oppression (Schechter, 1982).
The potential for systemic impact through this holistic
approach is significant and aligns with the primary
goal for which the PSQM was developed. By fostering
collaboration among various stakeholders, including
