Introduction
Coercive control has become one of the most urgent issues in Australia’s response to domestic and family violence. While physical violence is often more visible, coercive control is the patterned, persistent, psychological foundation that many experts describe as the most dangerous aspect of abuse. It is the slow erosion of a person’s autonomy, dignity, freedom and safety — and it can be carried out with or without physical force.
In recent years, Australian states and territories have begun to reform laws to better recognise and criminalise coercive control. This shift reflects a growing awareness of how pervasive, gendered and harmful these behaviours are — and how essential legal recognition is for prevention.
For workplaces, this evolving legal landscape matters. Coercive control frequently affects employed people. It infiltrates their work routines, their digital tools, their performance, and their psychological wellbeing. Legal reforms bring heightened community expectations, new organisational responsibilities, and a stronger mandate for employers to respond.
This blog provides a clear, detailed and accessible overview of the current state of coercive control laws across Australia. It also explains what these reforms mean for employers, why they matter, and how to prepare organisational systems, cultures and technologies to support employees experiencing abuse — including technology-facilitated coercive control.
Information is drawn from publicly available legal summaries and analysis, including Australian Family Lawyers’ overview of coercive control laws in Victoria, Queensland and New South Wales (https://www.australianfamilylawyers.com.au/information-centre/coercive-control-laws-australia-victoria-queensland-nsw).
What Is Coercive Control?
Coercive control refers to patterns of behaviour designed to intimidate, isolate, dominate, humiliate or frighten another person. Rather than occurring as a single violent event, coercive control is cumulative — one behaviour on its own may appear insignificant, but over time these behaviours create an environment of sustained fear and dependence.
Coercive control can include:
- monitoring or surveillance
- restricting access to money
- isolating someone from friends or family
- controlling communications or movements
- humiliating or degrading treatment
- threats to harm a person, children, pets or themselves
- limiting access to work, transport or technology
- interfering with employment
- using technology to track, stalk, impersonate or threaten
Research shows coercive control is a strong predictor of intimate partner homicide and is overwhelmingly gendered — most victim-survivors are women, and most perpetrators are men.
(ANROWS, Understanding Coercive Control, 2021)
Technology has amplified the ability to carry out coercive control. The Australian Institute of Family Studies describes technology-facilitated coercive control as a rapidly growing and frequently misunderstood form of harm.
AIFS, Technology-Facilitated Coercive Control)
Given the risks, the law in several states is adapting accordingly.
Why Coercive Control Laws Are Emerging Across Australia
For many years, Australia’s legal system primarily focused on discrete incidents of physical violence. This meant that behaviours such as surveillance, digital harassment or ongoing emotional abuse were difficult to prosecute unless accompanied by a clear physical act or breach.
High-profile cases, coronial inquests, victim-survivor advocacy and research have highlighted the need to recognise patterns, not just incidents. Lawmakers are increasingly acknowledging:
- coercive control can occur without physical violence
- psychological and emotional abuse can be equally dangerous
- technology has expanded opportunities for abuse
- early detection is essential to prevent escalation
- legal clarity provides important pathways for help
- protective systems must reflect the realities of modern relationships
As a result, states are moving toward standalone offences or strengthening existing legislation.
How Coercive Control Laws Differ Across States and Territories
The legal landscape is not uniform. To date, only New South Wales and Queensland have passed standalone coercive control offences, though other states recognise coercive behaviours through family violence, stalking or harassment laws. Victoria is progressing reforms but has not yet enacted a specific criminal offence.
Below is an overview of the current status in key jurisdictions.
New South Wales
NSW is the first Australian state to criminalise coercive control with a standalone offence.
Key features include:
- The offence applies to adult intimate partner relationships.
- Prosecutors must demonstrate a pattern of behaviour, not a single act.
- The behaviour must reasonably be expected to cause fear, distress or loss of autonomy.
- Technology-facilitated abuse — such as monitoring, tracking, surveillance or digital threats — is explicitly recognised as part of coercive control.
- The maximum penalty includes imprisonment.
- Implementation is being staged with a strong emphasis on training police, judges and professionals to identify and respond safely.
This level of reform acknowledges coercive control as a severe form of abuse and reflects extensive consultation with legal experts and victim-survivors.
(Reference: Australian Family Lawyers, Coercive Control Laws in NSW, 2024)
Queensland
Queensland has also passed legislation criminalising coercive control, forming part of a comprehensive domestic and family violence reform agenda.
Key aspects include:
- The offence applies to patterns of behaviour aimed at controlling or dominating a partner or former partner.
- Behaviours can include stalking, monitoring, emotional abuse, threats, financial control and digital harassment.
- Police and courts are undergoing major reforms to improve identification and response.
- Additional legislative changes aim to strengthen responses to domestic violence more broadly.
Queensland’s reforms were heavily informed by the Women’s Safety and Justice Taskforce, which found significant systemic failures in recognising coercive patterns.
(Reference: Australian Family Lawyers, Coercive Control Laws in Queensland, 2024)
Victoria
Victoria has not yet introduced a standalone coercive control offence, but it is undergoing extensive consultation and research to prepare for potential reform.
Coercive and controlling behaviours are already recognised as forms of family violence under the Family Violence Protection Act 2008, but they are not criminalised as a separate offence.
Coercive behaviour in Victoria may be captured under:
- family violence intervention orders
- stalking laws
- image-based abuse laws
- threat or intimidation offences
- privacy and surveillance offences
Victoria has been cautious, emphasising the need for careful implementation to avoid misidentification — particularly of women, First Nations people and people from culturally and linguistically diverse communities.
(Reference: Australian Family Lawyers, Coercive Control Laws in Victoria, 2024)
Other States and Territories
Although no other jurisdiction has passed standalone coercive control offences, all states and territories recognise aspects of coercive control through a combination of laws, including:
- intervention or domestic violence orders
- stalking or intimidation offences
- image-based abuse legislation
- communications or privacy laws
- threats, harassment or blackmail provisions
The ACT has conducted inquiries into coercive control and is gathering evidence to inform potential reforms. Western Australia and South Australia are monitoring legal developments closely. Tasmania maintains a unique set of offences that criminalise emotional abuse and economic control in certain circumstances, though these are structured differently from coercive control laws in NSW and Queensland.
Overall, Australia is moving toward harmonisation, but progress is staggered.
How Technology-Facilitated Abuse Fits into These Laws
Technology plays a central role in modern coercive control.
The eSafety Commissioner reports increasing use of:
- spyware
- GPS tracking
- smart home devices
- social media harassment
- hacking of personal or work accounts
- doxxing
- digital impersonation
- threats via online platforms
- coercive use of shared phones or cloud accounts
(eSafety Commissioner, Technology-Facilitated Abuse)
Coercive control laws — and broader domestic violence legislation — recognise technology as:
- a tool of surveillance
- a method of intimidation
- a mechanism of isolation
- a pathway to threats and harassment
- a means of destroying reputation or employment
- a method of extending abuse after separation
As coercive control laws evolve, technology-facilitated abuse is increasingly seen not as a separate phenomenon but as a core component of coercive control itself.
Why Coercive Control Laws Matter to Workplaces
Coercive control is not confined to the home. It affects employees’ work lives in profound ways, and workplaces can unintentionally become environments where coercive control continues or escalates — especially through technology.
Key reasons workplaces must understand these laws include:
Coercive control directly affects employee wellbeing
Victim-survivors often experience sustained anxiety, exhaustion, grief, fear, and trauma. This impacts their ability to perform, collaborate, and focus.
Coercive control disrupts attendance and productivity
Perpetrators may sabotage work patterns by:
- preventing sleep
- interfering with childcare
- monitoring work communications
- impersonating the victim
- disrupting online meetings
- sending threatening messages during work hours
(ABC News, Domestic and family violence a workplace issue, 2021)
Technology used for work can be weaponised
Hybrid work has expanded opportunities for digital intrusion. Perpetrators may gain access to:
- emails
- calendars
- meeting links
- work messaging systems
- device cameras
- location data
Employers have WHS duties
Under workplace health and safety laws, employers must manage foreseeable risks to employee safety — including psychological harm arising from domestic and family violence that affects work.
The Respect@Work reforms impose a positive duty
Employers must take proactive, preventative steps to stop sex-based harassment, which includes online and digital forms of abuse.
Coercive control can escalate into physical danger
If a perpetrator knows where an employee works or tracks them through digital systems, workplace safety is directly compromised.
Legal accountability is increasing
As coercive control becomes a criminal offence, employers may be expected to demonstrate:
- awareness
- appropriate response pathways
- support for victim-survivors
- responsible handling of workplace technologies
- evidence of safe systems of work
How Workplaces Can Prepare for the Evolving Legal Landscape
Even where standalone coercive control laws are not yet in place, employers should act now to ensure they understand the signs, respond safely, and build supportive infrastructure.
Below are best-practice strategies supported by guidance from family violence specialists, researchers and the eSafety Commissioner.
Recognise the Signs of Coercive Control
Managers and HR professionals should be aware of behaviours such as:
- unexplained changes in attendance
- frequent personal calls or messages
- distress during or after digital meetings
- anxiety about technology
- fear of being overheard
- requests for email or phone changes
- unusual activity on work accounts
- a partner appearing excessively at the workplace
- evidence of stalking or digital interference
Training should include real-world examples and trauma-informed communication techniques.
Strengthen Digital Safety Measures
Cybersecurity is now an essential part of workplace safety planning.
Recommended actions include:
- mandatory multi-factor authentication
- secure passphrases
- monitoring for unauthorised login attempts
- limiting access to sensitive information
- restricting external sharing of meeting links
- regular device privacy checks
- procedures for replacing compromised devices
- policies around remote work privacy
- mechanisms for confidentially reporting tech misuse
These measures must be easy to access and safe to request.
Develop Clear Policies on Respectful Technology Use
Policies should explicitly address:
- harassment, monitoring or intimidation via digital tools
- misuse of workplace systems against colleagues
- accessing someone else’s device or account
- non-consensual sharing of personal information
- obligations for secure device use
- disciplinary consequences for violations
Employees need clarity about what constitutes inappropriate conduct — especially as digital abuse becomes more sophisticated.
Create Safe Pathways for Disclosure
Workplaces should establish:
- a dedicated domestic and family violence contact
- alternative confidential reporting channels
- protocols for responding to compromised accounts
- supportive leave and flexibility options
- privacy protections
- referral pathways to specialist services
- procedures for emergency escalation
Victim-survivors should never be required to disclose details beyond what is necessary for safety planning.
Implement Workplace Safety Plans
A workplace safety plan may include:
- secure communication protocols
- private spaces for contacting support services
- adjusted working hours
- alternative start/finish times
- remote work options
- modifications to office access
- changed email addresses or phone extensions
- heightened digital security
- coordination between HR, IT and WHS teams
Plans must be tailored, victim-centred and authorised only with the employee’s consent.
Provide Supportive Leave Options
Under the National Employment Standards, all employees in Australia have access to 10 days paid family and domestic violence leave, which employers must make available confidentially.
Victim-survivors may need leave for:
- court dates
- police appointments
- counselling
- digital security checks
- relocation
- safety planning
- medical appointments
Employers should communicate this entitlement clearly and sensitively.
Collaborate Across Teams
Effective response to coercive control requires coordination across:
- Human Resources
- IT and cybersecurity
- Workplace Health and Safety
- Legal and risk teams
- Managers and supervisors
- Employee Assistance Programs
- External specialists
Coercive control is complex; no single department can manage it alone.
The Importance of a Gender-Informed Approach
Because coercive control is disproportionately perpetrated against women, responses must be grounded in gender equality principles. This involves:
- recognising power imbalances
- understanding gendered patterns of violence
- challenging stereotypes that minimise non-physical abuse
- avoiding victim-blaming
- ensuring policies do not inadvertently disadvantage women
- designing digital systems with safety in mind
A gender-informed approach strengthens prevention and supports legal reform.
Coercive Control Laws Will Continue to Evolve — Workplaces Must Evolve With Them
Coercive control is no longer an emerging issue — it is a recognised, dangerous and criminal pattern of behaviour that affects thousands of Australians. As the legal landscape changes, workplaces must keep pace.
Key takeaways include:
- Coercive control is increasingly recognised in law as a serious offence.
- NSW and Queensland now have standalone criminal offences.
- Victoria and other jurisdictions recognise coercive behaviours but are still progressing reforms.
- Technology-facilitated coercive control is central to modern abuse patterns.
- Employers have WHS duties, positive duties and ethical responsibilities to respond.
- Workplaces must strengthen digital security, training and support systems.
- Understanding the law empowers organisations to protect employees and reduce risk.
Most importantly, legal reform reflects a broader societal recognition that coercive control — online or offline — is a profound violation of human rights.
There is #noexcuse for online abuse, digital surveillance, intimidation, or coercive control.
Workplaces have a powerful role to play in prevention, protection and cultural change.
