Coercive Control Is Now a Crime: What It Means and Why It Matters

“You shouldn't have to wear bruises to be believed.” — Shannon Fentiman, Queensland Opposition Spokeswoman for Women

What is Coercive Control?

Coercive control is a pattern of behavior that seeks to dominate, intimidate, and isolate another person. Unlike physical abuse, coercive control doesn't always leave visible scars—but it can cause long-term psychological and emotional damage. These tactics are designed to strip away a person’s autonomy, freedom, and self-worth.

With the rise in domestic violence awareness, laws against coercive control are gaining traction globally. In places like Australia and the UK, and increasingly in the United States, coercive control is being criminalized. Recognizing non-physical domestic violence as a crime is a massive step toward protecting survivors from long-term psychological abuse.

Tactics include:

• Isolation from friends and family

• Monitoring daily activities and communications

• Financial control, restricting access to money

• Gaslighting, causing the victim to doubt their reality

• Threats and intimidation theaustralian+6Maine Morning Star+6AP News+6

These behaviors aim to strip victims of their autonomy and sense of self, leading to long-term psychological trauma.

Legal Recognition: A Global Shift

Queensland, Australia

On May 26, 2025, Queensland passed "Hannah's Law," criminalizing coercive control. Named after Hannah Clarke, who was murdered by her estranged husband in 2020, the law imposes up to 14 years in prison and allows police to issue 12-month protective orders.

New South Wales, Australia

New South Wales enacted similar legislation in July 2024, with a maximum penalty of seven years. The law was driven by findings that 97% of intimate partner homicides involved prior coercive control.

United Kingdom

Since 2015, England and Wales have treated coercive control as a criminal offense. As of February 2025, offenders sentenced to 12 months or more are managed under multi-agency public protection arrangements.

United States

Recognition varies by state. Connecticut’s “Jennifer’s Law” expanded the definition of domestic violence to include coercive control in 2021. In Florida, Senate Bill 844 sought to include coercive control but was withdrawn in May 2025.

Why Laws Against Coercive Control Matter

Until recently, many forms of emotional abuse and psychological abuse were minimized or dismissed in court. Survivors of domestic violence were often told, “There’s no proof.” But coercive control laws aim to change that. These laws allow prosecutors to charge abusers even when there are no visible bruises, focusing on behavior patterns like gaslighting, surveillance, manipulation, and financial abuse.

By criminalizing coercive control, the legal system is finally beginning to validate the lived experiences of survivors who have suffered in silence. Legal recognition empowers victims to seek help and holds abusers accountable. It also leads to better training for law enforcement and support services.

Common Signs of Coercive Control

Recognizing the early signs of domestic violence is critical for prevention.

Here are key red flags:

Isolation from Family and Friends

Abusers often cut off access to your support system, making it easier to manipulate and dominate.

Gaslighting and Manipulation

This psychological abuse tactic involves denying your reality, making you doubt your memory, feelings, and sanity.

Surveillance Abuse

Tracking your phone, monitoring your social media, or even installing hidden cameras are all tools used in surveillance abuse. Many victims don’t realize how invasive and terrifying digital abuse can become until it escalates.

Financial Abuse

Controlling access to money, preventing employment, or forcing you to ask for money are all forms of financial abuse in relationships. This creates dependency and removes your ability to leave safely.

Threats and Intimidation

Using fear to keep you compliant—whether through threats of harm, exposure, or control—is another classic sign of coercive control in relationships.

Constant Monitoring and Control

Some abusers enforce rigid rules, punish deviations, and undermine confidence and decision-making, stripping victims of their autonomy.

If you or someone you know is experiencing these behaviors, it's essential to seek help.

How These Laws Protect Survivors

Criminalizing coercive control sends a clear message: emotional and psychological abuse are not acceptable. It provides a legal route to intervene before things escalate to physical violence—or worse. The criminal justice system is slowly adapting to protect survivors from all forms of domestic abuse, not just the ones that leave marks.

What to Do If You Suspect You’re Experiencing Coercive Control

• Document incidents: Keep a private record of behaviors and threats.

• Reach out to a trusted friend or support group.

• Create a safety plan.

• Call a hotline or visit a domestic violence center for help.

You are not overreacting. You are not imagining it. You are surviving something no one prepared you for.

Resources and Help

• National Domestic Violence Hotline (U.S.): 800-799-SAFE (7233) | www.thehotline.org

• Women's Aid (UK): www.womensaid.org.uk

• 1800RESPECT (Australia): 1800 737 732 | www.1800respect.org.au

Final Thoughts

If you’re reading this and something feels familiar—trust that feeling. Emotional abuse, financial control, gaslighting, and surveillance are all early signs of domestic violence.

Recognizing these patterns is the first step toward breaking free.

You deserve safety. You deserve peace. And you are not alone.