Australia's attorneys-general have met in person for the first time in more than two years.
The Federal Attorney General wants a national approach to coercive control and a stronger response to sexual assault as a response to campaigning, particularly from advocate Grace Tame.
Australia's National Research Organisation for Women's Safety (ANROWS) says having a common definition of coercive control is critical.
The not-for profit group's Padma Raman says this behaviour is subtle and needs a clear meaning established.
"The insidious part of it is often victim survivors don't recognise that the behaviour is coercive control. That is the whole nature of coercive control. So the more we can do to educate frontline workers - and I don't just mean domestic and family violence workers but banks, police, people who see women - to be able to recognise where there is coercive control and financial abuse happening would be a really good start."
Queensland and New South Wales are already taking steps towards criminalising coercive control.
But Attorney-General Mark Dreyfus has told ABC criminal laws are inconsistent around Australia.
"If we can get better community awareness of what coercive control is, we can start to take steps to eliminate this conduct, and part of it might be criminalising but a big part of it is just getting this behaviour recognised."
