Listen Deeply, See Clearly: see the signs of coercive control

Listen Deeply, See Clearly is a call to action. It recognises that the signs of coercive control can be subtle and can hide in silence. It encourages us to listen deeply to each other – to listen using our eyes, our ears – to see past the lies, myths and assumptions that can hide the truth and prevent healing.

Listen Deeply, See Clearly applies whether we are sisters, brothers, aunties, uncles or we are police officers, paramedics, lawyers, or Magistrates.

What is coercive control?

Coercive control is when someone uses power and fear to take away your freedom. It is not just about physical violence – it also captures somebody controlling your life in quiet, sneaky ways that can make you feel isolated, scared and silenced.

How it might look

It is like someone slowly taking away your choices, your voice, and your connection to who you are. It can include:

• stopping you from seeing mob or going to community events
• telling you who you can talk to or what you can wear
• controlling your money or making unreasonable demands of you or your family about money (‘humbugging’)
• making you feel useless
• using shame, threats or blame to keep you quiet
• wanting to know where you are at all times, calling and texting excessively when apart, or making jealous accusations.

Why do people use coercive control?

People use coercive control because they want to have power or control over another person.

Coercive control can happen in all kinds of relationships — no matter your age or gender, how you define your sexuality, your background, or who you are as a person.

Have you experienced coercive control?

You are not alone. What happened to you is not your fault. Once you realise you are experiencing coercive control, you may want to seek help.

Legal Services' free Legal Helpline is the starting point for legal information and legal advice. Call 1300 366 424 between 9:00 am and 4:30 pm, Monday to Friday.

Help is also available at:

Family Violence Legal Service (Aboriginal Corporation)

Legal assistance and client support

1800 111 052

Aboriginal Legal Rights Movement (ALRM)

Free legal assistance and client support for Aboriginal peoples

1800 643 222

KWY

Cultural and support services for families and communities

8377 7822

Brother to Brother 24/7 Crisis Line

Crisis line for Aboriginal men

1800 435 799

1800 RESPECT

National domestic, family and sexual violence counselling, information and support service

1800 737 732

13 YARN

24/7 crisis support for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people 

13 92 76

About the initiative

The Listen Deeply, See Clearly project is a collaboration between Legal Services, Family Violence Legal Service (Aboriginal Corporation) and First Nations women from the Port Augusta region. The purpose of the project was to design a resource for community with community to raise awareness about coercive control.

As an extension of Legal Services’ See the Signs – Coercive Control Campaign, Listen Deeply, See Clearly was launched on 25 November 2025, coinciding with the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, which also marks the start of the 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence.

To support the initiative, t-shirts displaying the Listen Deeply, See Clearly message were designed and distributed amongst the community to instigate conversation and awareness.

Why Listen Deeply, See Clearly

Listen Deeply, See Clearly requires us to go beyond the mere words, beyond assumptions – to listen deeply and use our eyes, ears, our knowledge. It is a call to action for the community, first-responders, institutions and systems to ensure that they appropriately recognise and respond to the needs of victim-survivors.

Supporting the call to action is the flag design, which has the following meaning:

• the ochre background represents country
• the rising purple sun represents an increasing awareness of coercive control and domestic violence in country
• the white halo represents peace.

Resources