Victoria MP Laurel Collins’ proposed coercive control legislation passes third reading in Canada’s House of Commons
Coercive Control
Coercive control is a sustained pattern of behavior used by one person to dominate, subjugate, and trap another. It is not a single incident — it is a campaign, unfolding over months or years through isolation, surveillance, financial restriction, gaslighting, degradation, and the systematic erosion of the targeted person’s autonomy, identity, and sense of what is real.
The term was developed by forensic social worker Dr. Evan Stark, who described it as a liberty crime — an offense not primarily against the body but against personhood itself. In many jurisdictions it is now recognized in law. In the UK, coercive and controlling behavior has been a criminal offense since 2015. In Australia, New South Wales introduced a standalone coercive control offense in 2024. In the United States, Hawaii and Connecticut have enacted coercive control legislation, with additional states advancing bills.
Narcissistic Abuse Rehab maintains the Global Coercive Control Legislation Index — the first systematic index of its kind on the web — as a reference for survivors, advocates, legal professionals, and policymakers navigating this landscape.
Content tagged here covers the full spectrum of coercive control: its tactics and mechanisms, its neurological and psychological consequences, the legal frameworks designed to address it, its relationship to femicide and intimate partner homicide, and the recovery frameworks that support genuine healing. For the most comprehensive overview, see the Definitive Guide to Coercive Control.
Massachusetts House unanimously passes Bill H 4744 to ban coercive control and revenge porn awaiting Gov. Healey’s signature for enactment.
“Why didn’t you just leave?” is a question bystanders often ask coercive control survivors. It shows the urgent need for increased awareness.
Queensland passes groundbreaking coercive control legislation to tackle intimate partner violence and femicide in honor of Hannah Clarke.
EU enacts new laws to combat over 3000 annual femicides, aiming to significantly reduce violence against women across the continent.
An alarming report shows that Ireland’s police received an alarming 60,000 domestic violence reports in 2023.
Coercive control survivor Andrea Smith bravely shares experience of the dangerorous cycle of abuse and how she escaped
Victoria McNulty’s experience of coercive control highlights systemic flaws and the urgent need for change to protect and empower victims.
Download our free guide ‘The Parallel Parenting Playbook: A Plan For Parallel Parenting with a Narcissistic Ex.’
An alarming report from the Arizona Coalition to End Sexual and Domestic Violence reveals that the state’s decision to ignore the urgent need to expand existing legislation to include coercive control has made it a hotspot for intimate partner abuse in the United States. According to Arizona’s Family, the state has one of the highest rates of domestic violence fatalities…