Evan Stark's book, Coercive Control: How Men Entrap Women in Personal Life offers a theory of interpersonal violence that is more complex, and arguably more accurate. He illustrates that what is at stake for women in relationships involving interpersonal violence is freedom and autonomy, and the ability to actualize full citizenship. Stark redefines abuse from specific acts of violence, such as domestic violence to "an ongoing and gender-specific pattern of coercive and controlling behaviors that cause a range of harms." However, laws criminalizing domestic violence focus primarily on single incidents of assault and battery, not on the broader range of behaviors. This article explores how the law might incorporate Stark's thesis into legal reform and what the consequences, both intended and untended, might be. References