Coercive control is defined as follows: Eroding away another person’s freedoms and self esteem by repeated mental abuse in order to gain control of said person. This is typically done by an intimate partner or a parent. It is done intentionally by using threats, intimidation, isolation, manipulation, lying, and sometimes physical violence. Victims of this kind of psychological torture often develop severe trauma and other mental disturbances, not to mention the fact that it ruins their lives in many other ways as well. Research shows that for the majority of domestic violence victims, the mental abuse is even more damaging than the physical. Violence against women around the globe has tripled since the COVID19 pandemic began, and coercive control is a major contributing factor to most cases of domestic violence. In the UK, perpetrators of coercive control are sent to jail. It is beyond time that the United States follows their lead in this area. Please make coercive control a federal crime in this country. Thank you for listening.