WA Government calls on community to share experience and awareness of coercive control to inform new laws

Victims and survivors of coercive control are being encouraged to share their views to help the WA Government decide whether to introduce new laws against the serious, prolonged form of family violence. Coercive control is considered a pattern of persistent abusive behaviour to manipulate, intimidate, humiliate and isolate victims mentally, emotionally, socially and financially — sometimes for years. Perpetrators use coercive control to strip victims of their autonomy and ability to resist or escape abuse and can be a red flag that can lead to further violence including intimate partner homicide. The WA Government is looking to gather feedback from victims and survivors, the legal and family violence sectors and the wider community to understand what should be done legally to benefit survivors. It will also be used to help frontline responders understand how they can recognise patterns of abuse. Prevention of Family and Domestic Violence Minister Simone McGurk said consultation was important to ensure any measures the State Government puts in place achieve the best outcome for victim-survivors. “The issue of coercive control requires more than a legislative response — we all need to consider how we can change the underlying attitudes that allow violence against women,” she said. Consultation will be open until July 30. Visit bit.ly/36xiuEB.