The ACT Government has launched a public awareness campaign to help members of the community recognise the signs of coercive control, as part of its commitment to preventing family and domestic violence, supporting victim-survivors, and creating a safer community.
Minister for the Prevention of Family and Domestic Violence, Dr Marisa Paterson, said that coercive control is an incredibly harmful, insidious and widespread form of family and domestic violence.
"Coercive control is often a precursor to intimate partner homicide, and yet many Canberrans don't know what it is or how to identify whether they are victims," Minister Paterson said.
"This campaign is critical to ensure that members of the community know the signs and who to contact if they are a victim of coercive control."
Perpetrators of coercive control use a range of tactics to dominate a person and impose a pattern of behaviour with the intention to control and reduce their autonomy. Signs of coercive control may include:
- controlling someone's day to day choices
- financial control
- isolation
- monitoring
- threats
In 2023, the ACT's Domestic and Family Violence Review Biennial Report reviewed 12 domestic and family violence homicides that occurred between 2000-2022, and found coercive control was present in almost all cases.
"It is critical that we build a consistent understanding of the dynamics of coercive control so that victim-survivors can access support and perpetrators are held accountable," Minister Paterson said.
"Importantly, this campaign will help pave the way for future legislative reforms in this space, as awareness of coercive control is vital to ensuring that our laws are effective and support victim-survivors."
The campaign, licensed from the NSW Government Department of Communities and Justice, and uses the image of a spider's web to symbolise the interconnected pattern of behaviours which can trap victims of coercive control.
Minister Paterson acknowledged the confronting nature of the campaign and expressed gratitude to those working on the frontlines.
"I want to thank our domestic, sexual, and family violence services for their tireless efforts. I remain committed to advocating for the funding they need, especially as more people seek support due to increased awareness."
As a key aspect of increasing community awareness, the campaign includes resources translated into several languages.
