Victims of coercive control need immediate relief. This form of abuse is insidious; it doesn't leave physical bruises but devastates lives all the same.

It's there at home, behind closed doors, with offenders often hiding behind a veneer of respectability and religion.

The abuse doesn't end with a separation; in many cases, it escalates and can easily become deadly. Those of us who continue to experience it on every level need the legal system’s help through family court especially, and although very similar in nature, each horror story is unique as to the extreme devastation it causes each victim. Many others endure the same torment in silence, due to a system that isn't equipped to recognize or handle coercive control as the serious issue it is. 

Coercive control should be acknowledged as domestic abuse in South Carolina. Currently, 6 states have passed similar laws and as the Number 1 leading state in domestic violence deaths, SC MUST immediately pass this law to protect victims now and retroactively. Murder by suicide needs to be recognized as murder. 

Our courts, schools, law enforcement, and community support services like Sistercare must become trauma-informed. Victims of coercive control need immediate protection, recognition, and justice for all the suffering they have and are enduring and the lasting affects it leaves for the rest of their lives.

To live in daily fear is no way to live at all. The lack of awareness and understanding of coercive control perpetuates a cycle of psychological, emotional, and sometimes physical torture.

This abuse not only affects the immediate victims but can ripple through generations, causing lasting damage to mental, emotional, and physical health, such as anxiety, depression, identity loss, and even physiological ailments.

Currently, there is a critical piece of legislation, Bill S.0702, that aims to address this gap. It is imperative that this bill is passed and implemented, providing a framework for recognizing coercive control as a crime. By doing so, we can start holding perpetrators accountable and protect victims from ongoing abuse. Law enforcement agencies need training to identify coercive control and help victims before they fall prey to their predatory partners.  The legal system, specifically family court professionals, needs to offer clear pathways to justice for those so deeply affected.

Passing Bill S.0702 is a step toward creating a more just and informed system where victims of coercive control are not only heard but also protected and supported through recovery.

We need to break the silence and give a voice to those suffering in the shadows too afraid to speak up, much less leave very dangerous marriages due to eminent fear from threats made by their offenders to them, their children and extended family and friends that currently remain unprotected. 

Please sign this petition to urge the South Carolina legislative body to pass Bill S.0702, to finally give victims of coercive control the protections and justice they desperately need.