In the landscape of family and domestic violence, the term "coercive control" has emerged as a critical focus area for policymakers, service providers, and communities alike. Understanding what coercive control entails, its far-reaching implications, and how it shapes responses to family violence is paramount in fostering safer environments for individuals and families. Join us as we delve into the depths of coercive control, unravel The Australian Government's National Principles to Address Coercive Control in Family and Domestic Violence (the National Principles) established to address it, and explore the pivotal role they play in promoting safety and empowerment.
What is Coercive Control?
Coercive control extends beyond physical violence, weaving a intricate tapestry of abusive behaviours aimed at instiling fear, eroding autonomy, and asserting dominance within familial or domestic relationships. It encompasses various forms of abuse, including physical violence, sexual coercion, emotional manipulation, financial exploitation, and cultural or spiritual oppression. Often subtle and insidious, coercive control operates through repetitive patterns of abuse over time, leaving enduring impacts on victim-survivors and their communities.
Signs of Coercive Control
- Isolation: Abusers may isolate victims from their support networks, cutting off contact with friends and family to maintain control.
- Monitoring: Constant surveillance of activities throughout the day, including tracking movements and communications.
- Restriction of Freedom: Imposing limitations on freedom and autonomy, such as controlling access to work, education, or transportation.
- Gaslighting: Manipulating reality and undermining victims' perceptions of truth, often through denial, distortion, or invalidation of experiences.
- Verbal Abuse: Name-calling, severe criticism, and demeaning language aimed at belittling and undermining self-esteem.
- Financial Control: Exerting power by controlling finances, such as restricting access to money, monitoring spending, or withholding financial resources.
- Domestic Duties: Coercing victims to shoulder all domestic responsibilities without sharing tasks or responsibilities.
- Parental Alienation: Turning children against the victim through manipulation or negative influence, undermining parental authority and relationships.
- Health and Body Control: Dictating aspects of health and bodily autonomy, including diet, exercise, medical decisions, and reproductive choices.
- Jealousy and Monitoring: Making jealous accusations and monitoring interactions with others, aiming to isolate victims from external support.
- Sexual Regulation: Imposing control over sexual activities and intimacy, including demands for frequency, type, or conditions of sexual engagement.
- Threats: Using threats against loved ones, children, or pets to instill fear and maintain power dynamics within the relationship.
Recognising these signs is crucial for identifying and addressing coercive control, promoting safety, and supporting victim-survivors on their journey to healing and empowerment.
National Principles to Address Coercive Control
Recognising the urgent need for a coordinated response to coercive control, the Australian Government, in collaboration with state and territory governments, has devised the National Principles to Address Coercive Control in Family and Domestic Violence. These principles serve as a guiding framework for understanding, preventing, and responding to coercive control, with a focus on promoting safety, accountability, and holistic healing. Let's delve into the core tenets of these principles and their implications for policy, practice, and community engagement:
- Shared Understanding: Establishing a common understanding of coercive control is foundational to effective identification and intervention in family violence situations.
- Traumatic Impacts: Acknowledging the pervasive and traumatic effects of coercive control on victim-survivors, their families, and communities informs comprehensive responses across prevention, intervention, and recovery efforts.
- Intersectional Approach: Recognising the diverse identities and experiences of victim-survivors, an intersectional approach addresses multiple forms of discrimination and inequality in addressing coercive control.
- Societal Awareness: Enhancing societal understanding of coercive control is crucial in challenging attitudes and behaviors that perpetuate or minimise its impact, fostering a culture of accountability and support.
- Lived Experience: Centering the lived experiences of victim-survivors in policy development and service delivery ensures responsiveness and effectiveness in addressing coercive control.
- Coordinated Approaches: Coordinating responses across prevention, early intervention, response, and recovery services enhances victim-survivor safety and perpetrator accountability.
- Legal Embedding: Embedding the National Principles in legal responses ensures alignment with shared understandings of coercive control and promotes effective legislative reform.
As we navigate the complex terrain of family and domestic violence, the National Principles to Address Coercive Control stand as a beacon of hope, guiding us towards safer and more supportive communities. By fostering a shared understanding, centering lived experiences, and coordinating responses across sectors, we can dismantle the insidious grip of coercive control and pave the way for a future where safety, autonomy, and empowerment reign supreme.
To learn more about coercive control and the National Principles, visit Australian Government - Coercive Control. Let's stand together to end the cycle of violence and create a world where everyone feels safe and respected in their homes and relationships.
Crisis support
If you feel unsafe right now, call 000 (triple zero).
For 24/7 crisis support, contact:
- 1800RESPECT on 1800 737 732
- Safe Steps (Victoria) on 1800 015 188.