Paul O’Connor from The Legal Services Commission is presenting an informative session on Coercive Control and Legal Recognition of this insidious form of Domestic Violence

9.30am Wed 6th Sept, in Library

Healthy Relationships: A legal perspective

We will start by first asking what people consider a healthy relationship is.

We will then quickly talk about how the law has not always been an ally in ensuring relationships are healthy (ie laws in relation to women re employment, pay, rape in marriage and the assumptions that these laws were based on/ the assumptions that these laws perpetuated).

The evolving approach to abuse in relationships.

Moving from a focus on violence and identifying isolated incidents of violence to a wider concept of abuse and abuse as a pattern of behaviour that works to erode the autonomy and agency of an individual.

Explain the concept of coercive control and explain why as a concept its important for us to understand:

• The SA govt has indicated a commitment to criminalise ‘coercive control’ (no timetable as yet)

• Having a term for these behaviours, helps to identify them as wrong.

• A community’s understanding of these issues is important in determining the willingness of victim/survivors to ask for help or for us to ask the right questions.

Then legal and non legal supports available to individuals who may be victims/survivors and the supports available to somebody who may be exhibiting these behaviours.

In relation to legal supports the focus will be on intervention orders and the process of obtaining one and services that can assist.

If anyone is interested in joining this session please TEXT Lee 0455 445 524 with RSVP