Consultation Draft – National Principles to Address Coercive Control

Overview

You can contribute to a shared national understanding of coercive control by providing your feedback on the Consultation Draft of the National Principles to Address Coercive Control using the survey link below.

Safety information

This consultation is about family and domestic violence, including coercive control. If you think someone may be checking the websites you visit or using technology in other ways to monitor you, you may wish to find out how you can browse more safely before you continue.

Support services

Reading about and discussing family and domestic violence, including coercive control, may be distressing to some people. Your safety and wellbeing are paramount. If you or someone you know needs help, contact one of the below services:

If anyone is in immediate danger call Triple Zero (000).

1800RESPECT is the national domestic, family and sexual violence counselling, information and support service. If you or someone you know is experiencing, or at risk of experiencing, domestic, family or sexual violence, call 1800RESPECT on 1800 737 732 (available 24/7) or visit 1800respect.org.au.

Lifeline is a crisis support service for people who are feeling overwhelmed or having difficulty coping. You can call Lifeline on 13 11 14 (available 24/7).

National Principles to Address Coercive Control

Coercive control is often a significant part of family and domestic violence. Coercive control involves perpetrators using abusive behaviours in a pattern over time in a way that creates and maintains power and dominance over another person or persons. Perpetrators may use physical or non-physical abusive behaviours, or a combination of both.

Coercive control is a pressing issue that requires a coordinated, national approach. The Australian Government and state and territory governments are working together to develop National Principles to Address Coercive Control.

The National Principles will help create a shared national understanding of coercive control, which is important for improving the safety of Australians, particularly women and children.

The National Principles are designed to be used by government and non-government organisations involved in addressing coercive control. The National Principles will also be a tool to support greater community awareness of coercive control.

On 12 August 2022, the Meeting of Attorneys-General (now referred to as the Standing Council of Attorneys-General) agreed to release a Consultation Draft of the National Principles. The National Principles have not yet been finalised or endorsed by the Australian Government and state and territory governments. The purpose of this public consultation is to seek feedback on the draft National Principles.

The Consultation Draft sets out 8 National Principles. They focus on:

• a common understanding of coercive control and its impacts (1–3)
• the effects of discrimination and inequality (4)
• systems reform issues (5–6)
• criminalisation (7–8).

Consultation process

It is important that the National Principles reflect the views of the Australian community. This includes:

• people with lived experience of coercive control
• people affected by discrimination and inequality (including Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples)
• service providers
• research and advocacy organisations
• other stakeholders.

The consultation process will involve an online survey, targeted roundtable discussions and further advice from an Advisory Group made up of victim-survivors, family and domestic violence experts, and representatives of people at increased risk of coercive control.

You can contribute to a shared national understanding of coercive control by providing your feedback on the Consultation Draft using the survey link below.

You may have already shared your views on coercive control through other recent government consultations and inquiries. Many of these resources helped to inform the development of the National Principles. We are now asking for feedback on whether the draft National Principles achieve their intended objectives.

We will carefully consider your feedback. This consultation process will help us to ensure the final National Principles reflect the views of the Australian community.

How to share your views

Read the draft National Principles and tell us what you think by completing our survey.

The Consultation Draft contains the 8 draft National Principles, as well as short background sections and detailed explanations of each National Principle.

• Consultation Draft [PDF] 
• Consultation Draft [DOCX] 

The National Principles Overview contains guidance material and the 8 National Principles from the Consultation Draft.

• National Principles Overview [PDF]
• National Principles Overview [DOCX]

The Easy Read document has pictures and short sentences to help everyone understand the draft National Principles.

• Easy Read [PDF]
• Easy Read [DOCX]

Accessibility

If you need assistance to complete the online survey, email coercivecontrol@ag.gov.au or call (02) 6141 5201 to leave us a message, and we will contact you shortly.