The first step in perpetrating domestic violence is assertion of coercive control. This type of emotional and mental abuse is psychologically damaging and can be as traumatic as physical abuse, but it is NOT ILLEGAL. Victims cannot be heard or protected until it's TOO LATE!!

"Coercive control is a pattern of psychological and emotional behaviours (i.e. intimidation, humiliation, threats, etc.) that enforces the perpetrator’s rules on a victim through varying levels of abuse and degrees of severity. The tactics are intended to create a state of fear and subordination (especially in the victims of domestic violence) for taking away their sense of liberty. Apart from causing psychological harm, the coercive control may also escalate into inflicting physical pain or injury to the victim, especially when the perpetrator wants to enhance the credibility of a threat." -Christine, narcissisticbehavior.net

BEHAVIORS INCLUDE: 
·Being isolated from your family and friends.
Being deprived of your basic needs (i.e. Food, medication and comfort).
Being financially deprived of your own money, and having to account for the money you do spend.
Losing control of your everyday life (i.e. where you go, whom you can see, what you wear, what you can buy, etc.).
Being threatened with violence if you do not behave in a certain way (i.e. how you clean the house, cook the meals, perform in the bedroom, etc.).
Controlling your reproductive choices and sexual health (i.e. forbid the use of contraception from protecting you from STD’s or unwanted pregnancy, etc.).
Being controlled as to where you work, and what type of work you do.
Being stopped from working or going to school/college/university, etc.
Having no authority over your accounts.
Controlling everything within the household (i.e. deeds of the house, telephone, utilities, passport, etc.).
Monitoring your activities, movements and communication (i.e. emails, social media, spyware on mobile phone & computer, etc.).
Threatening to publish information about you to everybody, the police and authorities.
Insisting you answer their phone calls within a certain number of rings.
Being deprived of sleep.
Subjected to constant criticism, humiliation, intimidation and degrading name-calling.
Being repeatedly put down, telling you that you are worthless.
Enduring mental, emotional, physical and sexual violence.
Having your property or household damaged.
Forcing you to be part of their criminal activities or child abuse.
Threatening to harm or kill you and your children.