Coercive control is a serious and often hidden form of domestic violence and family abuse that can affect anyone in various types of relationships, including intimate partners, children, parents, family members, and carers. It consists of ongoing patterns of behaviour designed to control, dominate, isolate, and harm another person, gradually stripping away their freedom, autonomy, and sense of safety.
What is Coercive Control?
Coercive control is more than a single incident; it is a repeated pattern of behaviours aimed at hurting, humiliating, frightening, or isolating someone to maintain power over them. These behaviours may be physical but are often emotional, psychological, financial, or social in nature. Examples include manipulating, interrogating or gaslighting the victim, monitoring their activities, restricting access to friends, family, or support systems, and undermining their confidence and independence.
The controlling person may tailor their abusive behaviours to the specific vulnerabilities of the victim, which makes coercive control a complex and insidious form of abuse that can be difficult for others to recognise. It can happen in any relationship, whether casual, serious, separated, or within wider family and informal care situations.
How Coercive Control Manifests in Families
Coercive control can take many forms, including but not limited to:
- Emotional and Psychological Manipulation:
- Causing someone to question their sanity
- Manipulating someone’s sense of reality
- Constant criticism
- Name-calling
- Deliberately injuring a person’s self-esteem.
- Isolation:
- Cutting off or limiting contact with friends, family, and support networks to make a person dependent
- Surveillance and Monitoring:
- Tracking movements
- Controlling technology use
- Using children or other family members to spy or relay messages.
- Financial Control:
- Limiting access to money and financial resources
- Imposing strict budgets
- Preventing a person from working.
- Undermining Roles and Relationships:
- Alienation from friends and family members
- Manipulating family dynamics to maintain control
- Exercising Control Over Daily Life, including:
- Regulating health decisions, sexual activity, domestic responsibilities, and major life choices
Legal Perspective in Australia
Since May 2025, coercive control is a criminal offence in Queensland and increasingly recognised across Australia. The law criminalises patterns of abusive behaviour within domestic relationships, including intimate partners, family members, and informal carers. This offence carries serious penalties, including terms of imprisonment, reflecting the grave harm coercive control inflicts on individuals and families.
Family courts also consider coercive control when making decisions about parenting and property matters, focusing on the safety and wellbeing of affected family members and children. Importantly, the law recognises that the impact of these behaviours matters more than the intent behind them.
What to Do If You or Someone You Know is Experiencing Coercive Control
Ensure Immediate Safety
If there is immediate danger, call emergency services (Triple Zero 000). For non-emergencies, the police non-urgent line (131 444) or local support services can provide assistance.
Make Contact With Specialist Support
Organisations such as DV Connect, 1800 RESPECT, and other helplines offer confidential advice and counselling.
Seek Legal Protection
Victims can apply for Domestic Violence Orders (DVOs) or similar restraining orders to prevent further abuse.
Document The Abuse
Keeping records of abusive incidents, communications, and financial control strengthens any legal action or family court proceedings.
Seek Legal Advice
Consult a family or domestic violence lawyer who can provide guidance on protection orders, custody, and other legal remedies tailored to coercive control situations.
Support Others
Listen without judgement, validate their experience, and guide them to professional help and resources.
Understanding coercive control is critical to recognising this form of abuse in families and taking effective steps toward safety and justice. Australian law now offers stronger protections for those affected, and a range of support services are available to assist victims in reclaiming their freedom and autonomy.