What is coercive control and how to get help?

Coercive control was legally criminalised in NSW on 1 July 2024. Solicitor, Oliver Slewa, worked as a policy officer in domestic violence for the NSW Department of Communities and Justice. He says, according to the NSW government, coercive control is when someone repeatedly hurts, scares or isolates another person to control them. It’s domestic abuse and it can cause serious harm, so it’s important to know the signs.

Coercive control was a precursor to 97 per cent of intimate partner homicides in NSW between 2000 and 2018. Credit: Getty / Yana Iskayeva