Objective: Following a pre-registered study design, estimate the effect of police force-wide domestic abuse training on arrests for the new crime of 'controlling or coercive behaviour'.Methods: Using data on monthly count of arrest for controlling or coercive behaviour in 33 police forces, we employed a negative binomial difference-in-difference analysis and capitalised on differences in intervention timing to undertake an event study. Results:Training was associated with a 41% increase in arrest for controlling or coercive behaviour for trained forces compared to untrained forces (IRR 1.413, 95% CI 1.235-1.617).The event study illustrated that the increase in arrests in trained forces was consistent with the timing of the training. Conclusions:Training entire police forces to understand the dynamics of domestic abuse, including the new offence of coercive control, is effective in increasing the rate of arrest for coercive control.

Objective: Following a pre-registered study design, estimate the effect of police force-wide domestic abuse training on arrests for the new crime of ‘controlling or coercive behaviour’.Methods: Using data on monthly count of arrest for controlling or coercive behaviour in 33 police forces, we used a negative binomial difference-in-difference analysis and capitalised on differences in intervention timing to undertake an event study.Results: Training was associated with a 41% increase in arrest for controlling or coercive behaviour for trained forces compared to untrained forces (IRR 1.413, 95% CI 1.235–1.617). The event study illustrated that the increase in arrests in trained forces was consistent with the timing of the training.Conclusions: Training entire police forces to understand the dynamics of domestic abuse, including the new offence of coercive control, is effective in increasing the rate of arrest for coercive control.

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