Advocates and survivors are actively debating whether and to what degree coercive control should be codified1 in the criminal, protection order, or family laws of their state.

Coercive control is traditionally gendered as it replicates rigid gender roles in intimate relationships, but it can exist in any relationship involving unequal power dynamics.

These nonviolent forms of abuse are collectively referred to as “coercive control,” and their impact can be debilitating and devastating for survivors of domestic violence.

The 2024 amendment expands the definition of “abuse” to include “Coercive Control”, defined as:

Know the signs of abuse 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.

The Coercive Control Checklist1 includes twelve types of behavior “bricks” that wall off freedom, ten emotional and two physical. Each type is named for an effect it has on victims.

Perpetrators’/fathers’ coercive control prevented children from spending time with mothers and grandparents, visiting other children’s houses, and engaging in extra-curricular activities.