00:00Coercive control is a pattern of controlling and abusive behaviour in intimate relationships,
00:07most commonly in the form of harassment and tracking, threats and intimidation, financial
00:13abuse and shaming or humiliation. New data shows there were 297 coercive control incidents reported
00:21to police in the 12 months after the laws came into effect. That's resulted in just nine charges
00:28being laid and only one successful conviction. The majority of victims are women and rates
00:34of coercive control are higher in regional areas, with the central west and far west recording
00:40three times the state average. We always knew that the first year of operation of the law
00:45would be establishing the offence, educating the community and starting to really make
00:51sure that the people coming to police were being heard. At frontline services we've seen
00:57an incredible increase in knowledge from victims in New South Wales. They are identifying
01:03themselves very clearly as being victims of coercive control and not just physical or sexual
01:10abuse. The state government is due to review the coercive control legislation next year and
01:16with almost half of all victims having previously reported domestic violence, experts say there's
01:22a clear need to ensure these laws work as intended.
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