Release date: 14/03/23

The Malinauskas Government is previewing an important and confronting awareness campaign to help victim-survivors, their friends and families and the broader South Australian community to ‘see the signs’ of coercive control.

The campaign, to be officially previewed at this Wednesday’s, Government-led ‘See the Signs of Coercive Control’ forum, will capitalise on the growing public discourse and symbolism of metaphorical red flags to help build awareness about all forms of domestic violence, including coercive control.

Patterns of coercive behaviours may include emotional, psychological, financial and technological abuse. These actions seek to control, isolate and undermine victim-survivors, to take away a person’s sense of self-worth and autonomy and can be predictive of future physical attacks, including murder.

Targeted at young people, the first round of the campaign is supported by a $65,000 State Government investment.

Developed by award-winning advertising agency Showpony, the series will run until May through outdoor advertising and across Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, YouTube and Snapchat.

The campaign is part of a suite of government initiatives aimed at addressing domestic violence headlined by upcoming legislation to criminalise coercive control and legacy funding for awareness attached to this year’s FIFA Women’s World Cup.

Ongoing consultation about coercive control legislation shows high prevalence, but more work needing to be done to grow awareness about this form of violence across SA, highlighting the need for greater education.

Quotes

Attributable to Katrine Hildyard

Coercive control is an insidious and too often unseen form of domestic violence with horrifying outcomes.

I am determined to grow awareness about the patterns of coercive, controlling behaviours and their impact in the lead up to introducing legislation to criminalise it in the coming months.

To prevent and eradicate coercive control, we need more people in our community aware of it, those who experience it to feel empowered to seek help and those who perpetrate it to stop.

This campaign will strengthen our community discourse and understanding and help to progress this really important change.

The Malinauskas Government is committed to criminalising coercive control in South Australia. For the laws to work effectively and for us to robustly tackle this horrific behaviour, more people need to understand what coercive control looks like.  That is why this campaign is crucial.

Domestic Violence Crisis Line (SA 24/7): 1800 800 098
1800RESPECT (National 24/7): 1800 737 732
Men's Referral Service: 1300 766 491