This research hub documents the global legal landscape of coercive control and femicide–two of the most consequential and under-legislated forms of gender-based violence. The resources here are used by researchers, advocates, policymakers, legal practitioners, and survivors navigating the intersection of domestic abuse and the law.
All research on this page is created and maintained by Manya Wakefield, a trauma recovery coach and independent researcher specializing in coercive control and narcissistic abuse. Her work has been cited in peer-reviewed law journals, academic books, and policy discussions across multiple countries.
Table of Contents
Research and Data
National Femicide Rates in the U.S – Statistics & Analysis
Explore national statistics and trends in femicide, including risk factors and patterns linked to abusive relationships.
Understanding Black Femicide in the U.S. – Research & Analysis
A focused look at the disproportionate impact of femicide on Black women, including systemic and societal factors.
- The Alarming Rate of Black Femicide
- Black Femicide: Perpetrator Relationship Data
- Black Femicide Trends 2020–2025: The Impact of COVID-19
- The Role of Firearms in the Black Femicide Crisis
- Black Femicide: State-by-State Disparities
Research Indexes
The Global Coercive Control Legislation Index
Established 2020 — Updated 2026.
The first systematic index of its kind. Tracks the criminalisation of coercive control worldwide — from standalone legislation to Istanbul Convention ratifications — across every jurisdiction where legal frameworks have been enacted, proposed, or are pending. Used as a primary reference source by researchers and advocates globally, and cited in peer-reviewed publications including the Southern Illinois University Law Journal and the University of Agder.
View the Coercive Control Legislation Index
The Global Femicide Legislation Index
Established 2026.
Documents the emergence of legal frameworks specifically designed to address the killing of women and girls — a distinct and growing body of international law. Covers enacted legislation, pending bills, and ratified conventions across multiple regions. The first index of its type in the public domain.
View the Global Femicide Legislation Index
About This Research
Coercive control remained unnamed in law–and largely unnamed in clinical practice–for most of its history. People sat across from psychologists describing the systematic erosion of their autonomy and were handed diagnoses that located the problem inside themselves rather than in the calculated pattern of abuse being exercised over them.
The legal reform documented in these indexes represents a global shift in how states understand and respond to intimate partner violence. When the United Kingdom became one of the first countries to criminalise coercive control in 2015, it stood nearly alone. The index created here in 2020 exists to track what followed–and to make that information freely accessible to the people who need it most: survivors, advocates, researchers, and the practitioners who serve them.
These resources are provided free of charge, without subscription or paywall, as part of Narcissistic Abuse Rehab’s commitment to making recovery knowledge accessible to anyone, regardless of means.
How To Cite This Research
If you are citing the indexes in academic, legal, or policy work, the recommended citation formats are:
- Wakefield, Manya. (2020) The Global Coercive Control Legislation Index. Narcissistic Abuse Rehab. Accessed [DATE] from https://www.narcissisticabuserehab.com/coercive-control-legislation-index/
- Wakefield, Manya. (2026) The Global Femicide Legislation Index. Narcissistic Abuse Rehab. Accessed [DATE] from https://www.narcissisticabuserehab.com/femicide-legislation-index/
Academic Citations
This research has been cited in the following peer-reviewed and academic publications:
- Scotto di Carlo, G. (2025). Understanding Discourse and D.A.R.V.O.: Theories and Methods. In: A Critical Discourse Analysis of Violence against Women. Palgrave Studies in Language, Gender and Sexuality. Palgrave Macmillan.
- Rajendran, Pavithra. (2024-2025) Crime or Care?: International Laws to Address “Control” in Violence within Domestic Relationships. 49 S. Ill. U. L.J. 499. Southern Illinois University School of Law’s Journal (Special Edition on Domestic Violence).
- Das, Sushavan & Ghosh, Ananya. (2025). Behind the Mask: Narcissistic Abuse and the Silent Crisis of Domestic Violence.International Journal of Research and Analytical Reviews. 12. 440-472.
- Kvarstein, Anne-Marit. (2024) Raising Awareness of Coercive Control. The Role of Literary Representations. University of Agder.
- Bahtić, L. (2023) Reputation management and public opinion: a media coverage analysis of public figures facing a reputation crisis. Undergraduate thesis. VERN University. Page 29.
About The Researcher
Manya Wakefield is a trauma recovery coach and independent researcher specialising in coercive control and narcissistic abuse. She founded Narcissistic Abuse Rehab in 2019 as a social impact platform committed to making recovery resources accessible globally. Her research and advocacy work has been featured in Newsweek. , Elle, Cosmopolitan, Parade and . Huffington Post. She is the host of The Narcissistic Abuse Rehab Podcast, which charted in Health & Wellness in multiple countries in its first season, and the author of Are You In An Emotionally Abusive Relationship?, used in domestic violence recovery groups worldwide.
For research enquiries, corrections, or additions to the indexes, contact: hello [at] narcissisticabuserehab [dot] com.
Related Links
FAQ: Frequently Asked Questions
The Coercive Control and Femicide Research hub is as a centralized resource documenting the global legal landscape surrounding these two serious and historically under-legislated forms of gender-based violence. It is intended for researchers, advocates, policymakers, legal practitioners, and survivors who seek to understand how domestic abuse intersects with the law.
All research on the page is created and maintained by Manya Wakefield, a trauma recovery coach and independent researcher who specializes in coercive control and narcissistic abuse. She founded Narcissistic Abuse Rehab in 2019.
Yes. Manya Wakefield’s coercive control and femicide research has been cited in peer-reviewed law journals, academic books, and policy discussions across multiple countries — including the Southern Illinois University Law Journal, Palgrave Studies in Language, Gender and Sexuality, and works from the University of Agder, among others.
Established in 2020 and updated through 2026, the Global Coercive Control Legislation Index is the first systematic index of its kind. It tracks the criminalization of coercive control worldwide — covering standalone legislation, Istanbul Convention ratifications, and legal frameworks that are enacted, proposed, or pending across global jurisdictions.
Established in 2026, the Global Femicide Legislation Index documents legal frameworks specifically designed to address the killing of women and girls. It covers enacted legislation, pending bills, and ratified conventions across multiple regions, and is the first index of its type available in the public domain.
The Coercive Control and Femicide Research Hub includes research on national femicide rates and statistics, with a particular focus on the disproportionate impact on Black women. Specific topics covered include perpetrator relationship data, trends from 2020–2025 (including the impact of COVID-19), the role of firearms, and state-by-state disparities.