A new state-wide campaign has launched to help Western Australians understand and get support on coercive control as a form of family and domestic violence.
The ‘Coercion Hurts’ campaign, which is part of a wider range of WA Government initiatives and programs to support victim-survivors, intervene with perpetrators and work towards stopping violence before it starts, aims to raise awareness that coercive control is a pattern of repeated behaviours, intended to cause harm and to maintain control over someone.
Coercive control can be subtle and hard to spot. It can look like making decisions for someone, monitoring their movements, isolating them or gaslighting. It can also be restricting someone's access to their money or threatening to hurt them if they leave.
Just because there’s no physical abuse doesn’t mean the risk of serious harm - or even death - is any lower.
To support the two-year campaign, the wa.gov.au information hub has rolled out a range of information and resources on coercive control and family and domestic violence, including:
- How to recognise the signs of coercive control.
- What to do if you’re experiencing family and domestic violence.
- How to support someone experiencing family and domestic violence.
- What to do if you’re concerned about a mate’s behaviour.
- What to do if you’re worried about your own behaviour.
- What support services are available.
The campaign includes translated materials, for Aboriginal and Culturally and Linguistically Diverse communities.
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The campaign was informed by discussions of the Family and Domestic Violence Taskforce, which was convened to guide the State Government’s responses to family and domestic violence in Western Australia.
It also follows the recent passing of the Family Violence Legislation Reform Bill 2024 that includes introducing key systematic and legislative reforms to prevent coercive control, protect and support victim-survivors and hold perpetrators accountable.
The new laws amend the Restraining Orders Act 1997 to include a reference to the patterned nature of coercive control behaviours and their cumulative effect in the existing definition of family violence.
This change is part of the phased approach to the criminalisation of coercive control, which also includes improving the application process for restraining orders and strengthening education and training to improve the likelihood of successful prosecutions once coercive control is criminalised, to protect victim-survivors.
Learn more about the signs of coercive control and what help is available at WA.gov.au/coercivecontrol
Learn more about family and domestic violence at WA.gov.au/familydomesticviolence
Help and support
In an emergency call 000.
If you or someone you know is experiencing family and domestic violence, there are support services available:
Women’s Domestic Violence Helpline 1800 007 339.
Men’s Domestic Violence Helpline 1800 000 599.
1800RESPECT 1800 737 732.
Kids Helpline 1800 551 800.
