The ‘coercive control spiderweb’ will feature as part of a public awareness campaign. Photo: Supplied/ACT Government.
“Coercive control is a web of abuse. It’s when someone repeatedly hurts, scares, or isolates another person to control them. Some abusive behaviours can seem minor on their own, but together they form a pattern of abuse.
“It can feel like being caught in a web.”
This is the messaging at the forefront of the ACT Government’s public awareness campaign on coercive control.
Prevention of Family and Domestic Violence Minister Dr Marisa Paterson said launching this public awareness campaign was a crucial step in the ACT’s work to create a safer community.
“It is critical that we build a consistent understanding of the dynamics of coercive control so that victim-survivors can access support and perpetrators are held accountable,” she said.
“Importantly, this campaign will help pave the way for future legislative reforms in this space, as awareness of coercive control is vital to ensuring that our laws are effective and support victim-survivors.”
Perpetrators of coercive control use a range of tactics to dominate a person with the aim of controlling and reducing their autonomy.
Signs of coercive control may include controlling someone’s day-to-day choices, financial control, isolation, monitoring and threats.
“Coercive control is often a precursor to intimate partner homicide, and yet many Canberrans don’t know what it is or how to identify whether they are victims,” Dr Paterson said.
“This campaign is critical to ensure that members of the community know the signs and who to contact if they are a victim of coercive control.”
The campaign has been licensed from the NSW Department of Communities and Justice, with the spider’s web symbolising the interconnected pattern of behaviours that can trap victims of coercive control.
It will run as 15 and 30-second radio ads, on social media (in English, Arabic, Mandarin, Cantonese and Vietnamese), digital radio ads on music streaming and podcast platforms, through print advertising and as part of Google Search ads.
Posters will also be displayed in bathrooms and on the back of toilet doors in shopping centres and universities, as well as in some GP clinics and pharmacies.
Posters in 10 languages will be uploaded to the ACT Government Coercive Control website and shared with stakeholders in Canberra’s linguistically diverse communities.
Domestic Violence Crisis Service CEO Sue Webeck welcomed the initiative, but stated the organisation would have liked the chance to contribute to developing the campaign.
“We received notice of the launch last Thursday afternoon (22 May), which did not provide time for a local perspective, or to tailor information to the ACT community,” she said.
“Licensing material from the NSW Government is a sensible move. A report into their campaign suggests the web metaphor was understandable across languages and succeeded as an awareness-raising exercise.”
Ms Webeck said educating the public on coercive control was an important step before the government brought in specialised laws, but wanted to see more work with Canberra’s institutions as well.
“The whole system needs further education to address coercive control effectively. The April 2024 report into ACT Policing’s handling of sexual assault showed damaging misconceptions about domestic, family and sexual violence persist in the force, and officers are not always equipped to deal with complex cases,” she said.
“The legal and justice system is directed towards individual instances of violence, not patterns of fear and control. In our work, we see women’s experiences of fear, intimidation and control being dismissed or unrecognised by police and the justice system.
“We sincerely hope training will be rolled out soon to aid in ensuring those experiencing coercive control are believed and recognised, in line with the government’s list of commitments before they consider criminalising coercive control.”
She called on the ACT Government to partner more closely with the local community and those with specialist expertise to resource further educational tools on coercive control, particularly in the digital space.
“While location-sharing apps have become popular amongst families, friends and intimate relationships for safety purposes, it’s just one tool that can heighten the risk of digital coercive control,” Ms Webeck said.
“Effective conversations about coercive control must account for the grey areas and new platforms surging in use.”
The Legislative Assembly previously passed an amended Opposition motion to criminalise coercive control, following a review of the ACT’s current legislative framework.
Canberra Liberals leader Leanne Castley welcomed the launch of the public awareness campaign, but expressed her doubts that the ACT Government would legislate the offence.
“The ACT is one of the last jurisdictions in the nation where legislation has not been passed to prevent coercive control and it’s high time we stepped up to the plate and protected women and families,” she said.
“An awareness campaign is the first step, but it’s not enough. We must have legislation that allows police officers and the courts to intervene and deal with this problem properly.
“I just hope that ACT Labor don’t go weak in the knees and think that a campaign is enough to prevent coercive control and domestic violence.”
The government’s progress report and a timeline for legislation will be delivered by mid-September.
