People with disability

We're going to talk about something important called coercive control.

Coercive control is when someone close to you repeatedly says or does harmful things to hurt and control you.

It's not about making rules to keep you safe. It's not about making rules to help you have good habits.

It's a pattern of trying to control you on purpose.

You might feel powerless, scared, or trapped. Imagine if someone told you what clothes to wear, who you can see, where you can go. Imagine if they did this all the time.

You might feel like you don't have choices or control over your life anymore.

Coercive control could include physical or non-physical abuse, and it's not okay.

You can find more information and support at www.qld.gov.au/needtoknow

Coercive control can happen in different relationships.

It can happen in a romantic relationship with your boyfriend, girlfriend, partner, husband, or wife.

It can happen after a romantic relationship ends. It can happen with a family member. It can happen with an informal carer.

An informal carer is someone who helps you with your daily tasks. An informal carer is not the same as a disability support worker who is paid to help you.

Coercive control is never okay. If you experience these things, it's important to seek help.

For more information, please visit www.qld.gov.au/needtoknow

Coercive control is when someone tries to repeatedly and deliberately control you in a relationship.

It can look different for everyone.

Here's how it can happen. Physically harm you. They might hurt you or make you feel scared, isolate you.

They might stop you from seeing your family and friends. Control you.

They might tell you when you can leave the house. They might control how you spend your money.

They might stop you from getting medication or things you need for your health. Use technology to control you.

They might control your phone or computer. They might read your emails and messages without your permission. Sexually abuse you.

They might make you do sexual things you don't want to do, emotionally harm you. They might make you feel bad about yourself and that you are not important, share your private information.

They might tell others things about you that you want to keep private, threaten you. They might say they'll do bad things to you, your pets, or your belongings. control how you practice your culture. They might stop you from doing things that are part of your culture.

Remember, coercive control is never okay. If you experience any of these things, it's important to seek help.

You can find more information and support at www.qld.gov.auu/needtoknow

Coercive control will be against the law from the 26th of May, 2025.

This law makes it illegal for an adult to repeatedly do harmful things over time to control another person like their partner or family member. From 26th of May 2025, if an adult breaks this law, they can be punished.

The punishment will depend on many different things. The person could even go to prison for up to 14 years from 26th of May 2025.

There will also be other new laws to help protect people who are victims of domestic and family violence and coercive control. It will be against the law for an adult to help an abuser by doing harmful things to a victim who is protected by a legal document like a domestic violence order.

This includes friends or family members who try to scare or bully the victim on behalf of the abuser. This also includes a private investigator who is hired by an abuser to do harmful things like watch or follow a victim.

Anyone who helps an abuser in this way could be punished and go to prison for up to 3 years.

You can find more information about these laws at www.qld.gov.au/needtoknow.

Coercive control is serious and can cause a lot of harm. You deserve to feel safe and loved in a relationship. If coercive control happens to you, you can get help. If you need help straight away, you should call 000 and ask for the police. You can call DV Connect if coercive control happens to you. They will give you free support and information and help you find a safe place. You can call them on the following numbers. 1 800 811 811 DVconnect women's line 24/7 or 1 800 600 636 DVconnect men's line 9:00 a.m. to midnight.

If you are worried you are hurting people by using coercive control, you can call for help about your behavior. You can call 1300 789 978 men's line Australia 24/7 or 1300 766 491, No to violence men's referral service 24/7.

If you need to speak to someone in your language, you can call the translating and interpreting service. You can call 131-450. If you are deaf or having trouble hearing, you can call the National Relay Service. You can call 13 36 77.

You can find more information about support at www.qld.gov.au/needtoknow

You have the right to feel safe, loved, respected, and supported in your relationships.

You should feel valued and free to be yourself and make your own decisions.

Coercive control is often a defining feature in domestic and family violence.

Coercive control describes a pattern of harmful behaviors deliberately used by the abusive person to control, manipulate, and dominate the other person.

It can include patterns of physical or non-physical abuse to deliberately hurt, humiliate, isolate, frighten, or threaten you in order to control you. It creates an atmosphere of fear and dependency and can make you feel trapped in your relationship.

There's no place for control in a healthy relationship. Coercive control can happen in different types of relationships, including current or former partners, family members, or informal caregivers.

If you experience coercive control, it's never your fault. It is important to know the signs of coercive control because it can be subtle and hard to notice. It may escalate over time.

A person using violence may constantly monitor you, your phones, computer, and other devices without your permission, track your location, abuse or humiliate you on social media, or control who you talk to, control who you see, what you wear, and where you go. Deny your everyday needs like medication, food, or exercise. restrict your use of money or stop you from working, force you to have sex or do sexual acts, block your access to education or from learning English, stop you from practicing your religion or culture or attending cultural events, threaten to harm you, your family, your children, your friends, or your pets. Disclose your personal information to other people such as your gender, sexuality, or HIV status. Withhold your passport, threaten to have you deported, or to have your children taken from you, criticize or blame you until you doubt yourself.

From the 26th of May, 2025, coercive control will be against the law in Queensland. If convicted, there are severe penalties, including up to 14 years in prison. If you feel like your relationship isn't healthy, and there are signs of controlling behavior that are intimidating, hurtful, scary, or isolating, you're right to check if it's coercive control.

A healthy relationship is based on trust, respect, open communication, and honesty. If you think you or someone you know might be in a harmful relationship or experiencing coercive control, further information and support is available to you.

You have the right to feel safe, loved, respected, and supported in your relationships. You should feel valued, and free to be yourself and make your own decisions.

There's no place for control in a healthy relationship. If you think you or someone you know might be in a harmful relationship or experiencing coercive control, further information and support is available to you.