Coercive control describes a pattern of behaviours that cause entrapment and a range of biopsychosocial harms. Previous research has reported on the health and help-seeking impacts of individual abuse types, missing the influence of multiple abuse types concurrently perpetrated against a survivor and the timeline of that abuse. This study employed a comprehensive measure of coercive control patterns to explore timelines, health and help-seeking associations in a national Australian sample. An online cross-sectional survey of 1,026 women survivors of recent intimate partner violence (last five years), included measures of abuse (psychological, physical, sexual, reproductive and technological), health (general health, disability, depression, anxiety, posttraumatic stress, hopelessness, suicidal ideation and self-esteem), and help-seeking (formal and informal sources). Analysis involved multivariable logistic regression to calculate the odds of reporting health and help-seeking outcomes for those exposed to different coercive control patterns in the last 12-months. Most survivors had experienced multiple abuse types, all co-occurring with psychological abuse. Survivors whose coercive control pattern involved five abuse types reported the highest odds of poor health and help-seeking behaviour. Researchers should analyse composite patterns of abuse with associated health issues and help-seeking; while practitioners are urged to enquire about all abuse types to holistically assess health impacts and help-seeking behaviours for individual women.

The complexity of the system which needs to be navigated by victim-survivors has become unwieldy and inaccessible for many in our community. Community services have often found themselves put in to competition for funding and resources, so how do we build partnerships when we are at times struggling for survival.
Women’s Legal Centre and the Domestic Violence Crisis Service in the ACT came together to solve a singular problem for victim-survivors but in turn has built a robust partnership not just across our service delivery but across our services. It isn’t always easy, it isn’t always equitable but it is always possible.
Accessing legal advice and support early is critical in supporting the best possible outcomes for many victim survivors across our community. Having a crisis response system which enables potential legal issues early and refer into trauma informed legal support is a critical component of ensuring better outcomes for clients.
Working to create an environment in which partnership can thrive and produce better outcomes for our communities, WLC and DVCS have created an intentional, values driven and transparent partnership which enables capacity sharing in responding to government policy, legislative reform, practice improvement and a more integrated response provided directly to victim survivors.
Through difficult conversations, shared reflection and a commitment to the clients we exist to serve WLC and DVCS have and continue to navigate a path of learning, frustration, reform and partnership. We will explore the key organisational environments that allow this to happen while understanding the very real benefits it can have for our teams and the community we serve.