Definition

• Coercion occurs when a person intentionally creates circumstances to overcome an individual’s free choice or free will. Individuals are forced to act out of fear of consequences if they do not comply, rather than through their own free will.
• Complex interpretive issues arise in determining precisely which acts fall within the outer contours of the word “coercion”. Just as common law has helped define such terms throughout history, case law will continue to help determine these outer contours over time. Local communities may differ with how they define “coercion”, but their determinations must always be reasonable.
• Coercion is one of the nine forms of aggressing (a breach of the Legal Principle).