💜 I am speaking as a survivor — but my story is not just mine. It belongs to countless others who are still living under invisible chains of abuse. For the ones who are trying to heal. For the ones who keep cycling back. For the ones who never escape. What is emotional abuse and coercive control? It is a systematic pattern of power and control. It’s being monitored and stalked, cut off from friends and family, belittled and humiliated, controlled financially, threatened, manipulated, and intimidated until you no longer recognize yourself. It is abuse without bruises — but the damage is deep and lasting. What is reactive abuse? Victims under relentless coercive control often eventually break down and react — by yelling, throwing something, or pushing back after months or years of torment. In those moments, abusers call the police, play the victim, and too often succeed in getting their partner arrested. Many victims spend nights in jail while the true abuser walks free. This flips justice upside down. Some abusers even use this tactic intentionally, knowing the system will protect them. Why don’t victims report their abusers? Because most victims protect them, even at their own expense. Victims are conditioned to stay loyal, to minimize the abuse, or to believe it’s their fault. They sabotage themselves to protect the very person destroying them. That is the insidious nature of coercive control. Other countries already lead the way: • United Kingdom (2015): Made coercive control a criminal offense under the Serious Crime Act, punishable by up to 5 years in prison. • Scotland (2018): Passed one of the strongest coercive control laws in the world, recognizing psychological harm as domestic abuse. • Australia: States like New South Wales and Queensland now criminalize coercive control. In these countries, abuse is proven not by one incident, but by patterns of behavior: • Texts, emails, or recordings showing threats or intimidation. • Bank statements proving financial control. • Testimony from friends or family about isolation and fear. • Journals or logs documenting harassment, manipulation, or control. Why this matters in the U.S.: Right now, victims here are left unprotected, blamed, and criminalized. Emotional abuse and coercive control should be crimes in the United States. Survivors deserve protection, validation, and justice. Abusers should face accountability — not the victims they torment. I survived, but too many others are still trapped. I am speaking up for them. Please sign and share this petition so together we can make history and protect survivors.