She said a broad definition of coercive or controlling behaviours must be “open”.
“That’s one of the challenges and why the quasi-civil law in Australia hasn’t been successfully implemented because it is very difficult to define,” Dr Nancarrows said. “This definition needs to position coercive control as an overarching strategy for domestic and family violence behaviours, and to include a non-exhaustive list of physical and non-physical behaviours,” it says in its submission.
He said challenges in translating such behaviours into"comprehensible evidence" - which has led to low prosecution and conviction rates in the UK - along with difficulties in determining the difference between “what is normal and what is abuse” should be “pause for thought”.
It's quite likely that a victim of coercive control or emotional abuse or even cheating or sexual abuse will end up being unfairly prosecuted as the offender under coercive control laws just for trying to prevent their own abuse or for tit-for-tat stuff.
“These behaviors give the perpetrator power over their partner, making it difficult for them to leave. Sometimes, coercive control can escalate into physical abuse.”
“Coercive control is an act or a pattern of acts of assault, threats, humiliation and intimidation or other abuse that is used to harm, punish, or frighten their victim. “pattern of controlling behaviors that create an unequal power dynamic in a relationship “
Coercive control describes government perfectly
Wondering if any of the experts are women or men that have lived through such experiences?