Coercive control seeks to disempower victims of domestic abuse on every level. Leaving the family home – and disentangling feelings of care – is a complex process.
There’s a need to better understand coercive control as an important component of domestic violence when it comes to making decisions around co-parenting.
The law continues to treat intimate partner violence like a bar fight – considering only what happened in a given violent incident. But domestic violence isn’t about just physical violence.
Women leaving violent situations need to be able to ensure the safety of their companion animals, and a motion before the Victorian parliament is seeking changes to achieve that.
Australia first needs a better understanding of what coercive control is and how to respond to it. If law reform is rushed, victims will be put at risk.
New research shows Australian women living under new coronavirus regulations are in fear of their lives from abusive partners or former partners. Action must be taken now to stop it.
It is important that police forces and the CPS are able to recognise that coercive control and couple violence are different and require different handling.
New laws in the UK have led to convictions for a range of deplorable behaviours used to control partners in relationships. It’s time Australia reconsidered introducing such legislation here.
Advocates say the recent quashing of Sally Challen’s murder conviction brought attention to a hidden feature of domestic violence. But it may have also painted Challen as an unstable woman.