Petition for Trauma-Informed Police and Probation Officer Training on Coercive Control

Too often, victims of domestic abuse are mistaken for aggressors. This happens because coercive control—psychological abuse and manipulation—is often not recognized by law enforcement or probation officers. When victims react out of fear and survival, their responses can look like reactive outbursts or defensive behaviors caused by prolonged trauma. These reactions are frequently mischaracterized as the primary aggression, leading to wrongful charges and devastating consequences for already traumatized victims.

We are calling for mandatory trauma-informed training for all police officers and probation officers to:

• Recognize signs of coercive control and psychological manipulation.
• Understand how trauma responses and reactive abuse can be misinterpreted.
• Identify when victims and abusers present in ways that do not match common assumptions—for example, when an abuser appears calm and reasonable while the victim seems aggressive or unstable—so that true roles are correctly understood.
  
  
• Prevent the weaponization of the legal system against victims.
• Implement protocols that allow probation officers to conduct deeper reviews post-conviction if coercive control is identified, potentially leading to expungement or re-evaluation of convictions.  

With the upcoming coercive control legislation, these measures will ensure that both police and probation officers are equipped to protect victims, hold abusers accountable, and deliver justice fairly.

Sign this petition to urge the implementation of comprehensive trauma-informed training and protocols for both police and probation officers—so victims are protected and not wrongfully accused.