The NSW Government this week announced that it will criminalise coercive control.
Coercive control has a devastating psychological impact on individuals and families. Those who have endured it speak of experiencing a complete destruction of self-worth.
This welcome announcement follows an inquiry into coercive control in domestic relationships, established by a joint select committee on 21 October 2020.
We put forward our submission to the committee in January 2021, arguing that social and legal reform is needed.
We outlined that coercive control is not limited to physical violence but includes all forms of aggression where there is a pattern of behaviour which is emotionally abusive.
Our position is that there are multiple benefits to victims of making this behaviour illegal, including validating the rights of the victim, the prevention of possible escalation to violence, and the sending of a clear message that coercive control is both socially and legally unacceptable.
The NSW Government has indicated support for 17 of the inquiry’s 23 recommendations.
Other governments around Australia are also considering criminalising coercive control, and we have submitted responses to both the South Australian and Queensland governments. We will continue to watch for updates from other jurisdictions and will contribute to any inquiries as they occur.