Protect families from coercive control abuse
The issue
As a single mother and carer of a neurodivergent child, I have faced the frightening reality of coercive control firsthand. In the past, that experience has pushed me to leave my 15-year career in the public mental health sector to care for my child. Despite my professional background, I am constantly confronted with barriers and distress caused by the systemic gaps and an alarming lack of understanding and recognition of coercive control.
Coercive control is a form of domestic abuse that manipulates, isolates, and frightens families, leaving deep emotional scars. Sadly, perpetrators are manipulating these gaps in government systems to continue their abuse, creating an environment where victims have nowhere to turn for refuge or support. Current legislation fails to adequately address coercive control, leaving vulnerable parents and children exposed to continuous harm.
The absence of robust legal frameworks and awareness further complicates the scenarios for families like mine, who are battling not just the abuser, but also an unresponsive system. We need our leaders to acknowledge the severity and nuanced nature of coercive control and take action immediately.
I urge policymakers to implement rigorous strategies that include a comprehensive legal definition of coercive control, enhanced judicial understanding, and specialized training for law enforcement and social services. It is imperative to develop a support system that can identify, intervene, and protect those affected.
Focusing on prevention and educational initiatives to raise awareness is crucial. Implementing policies that prevent perpetrators from exploiting these legal gaps will save lives and offer hope to many trapped in these invisible chains of abuse.
Victims should not suffer twice—first by the abuser and then by a system that's supposed to protect them.
I propose that any perpetrator caught out in committing coercive behaviour through the gaps in the system be made to complete a behavioural change program.
Join me in demanding our government strengthens laws against coercive control. We must not let more families suffer in silence.
Please sign this petition to call on our legislators to take immediate action, protect families, and ensure a safer, just society for all.
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The issue
As a single mother and carer of a neurodivergent child, I have faced the frightening reality of coercive control firsthand. In the past, that experience has pushed me to leave my 15-year career in the public mental health sector to care for my child. Despite my professional background, I am constantly confronted with barriers and distress caused by the systemic gaps and an alarming lack of understanding and recognition of coercive control.
Coercive control is a form of domestic abuse that manipulates, isolates, and frightens families, leaving deep emotional scars. Sadly, perpetrators are manipulating these gaps in government systems to continue their abuse, creating an environment where victims have nowhere to turn for refuge or support. Current legislation fails to adequately address coercive control, leaving vulnerable parents and children exposed to continuous harm.
The absence of robust legal frameworks and awareness further complicates the scenarios for families like mine, who are battling not just the abuser, but also an unresponsive system. We need our leaders to acknowledge the severity and nuanced nature of coercive control and take action immediately.
I urge policymakers to implement rigorous strategies that include a comprehensive legal definition of coercive control, enhanced judicial understanding, and specialized training for law enforcement and social services. It is imperative to develop a support system that can identify, intervene, and protect those affected.
Focusing on prevention and educational initiatives to raise awareness is crucial. Implementing policies that prevent perpetrators from exploiting these legal gaps will save lives and offer hope to many trapped in these invisible chains of abuse.
Victims should not suffer twice—first by the abuser and then by a system that's supposed to protect them.
I propose that any perpetrator caught out in committing coercive behaviour through the gaps in the system be made to complete a behavioural change program.
Join me in demanding our government strengthens laws against coercive control. We must not let more families suffer in silence.
Please sign this petition to call on our legislators to take immediate action, protect families, and ensure a safer, just society for all.
The Decision Makers
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Petition created on 29 July 2026