GASLIGHTING AS A FORM OF COERSIVE CONTROL
This infosheet explains gaslighting as a form of coercive control, where the person using violence deliberately undermines a woman’s sense of reality, confidence, and self-trust over time. It supports women to recognise gaslighting, understand its impacts, and offers practical, non-blaming strategies to help rebuild trust in themselves and seek support safely. You can access it here on the website or through The Orange Story’s Online Coercive Control Toolkit via the Professional Learning tab.
16 wAYS TO GET INVOLVED WITH 16 DAYS OF ACTIVISM AGAINST GENDER-BASED VIOLENCE
Taking place annually from 25 November to 10 December, the international 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence campaign is a time to take action to end violence against women and girls. I have developed a short guide with sixteen ways to get involved with the 16 days of Activism, focusing on coercive control and domestic and family violence. You can download it here.
WHAT IS PET ABUSE?
The misuse and abuse of the human and animal bond is a common form of coercive control. Known as pet abuse, this coercive and controlling behaviour may include threats to the partner about contact with, or violence to, animals and pets.
Here is an information sheet on pet abuse that you can download to learn more.
31 SOCIAL MEDIA POSTS FOR DOMESTIC AND FAMILY VIOLENCE pREVENTION MONTH
I have developed a guide with 31 social media posts that can be used during Domestic and Family Violence Prevention Month (May each year). The guide aims to raise awareness about domestic and family violence and coercive control through social media messaging. The content can be copied directly to your social media posts. You can make your own graphics or use the links to external resources in the guide. Please always include support services’ phone numbers with your posts.
COUNTER PARENTING EXPLAINED
Many people have asked me to explain counter parenting - in the context of coercive control and post-separation abuse. It’s the last key point in my post-separation abuse poster, which you can download for FREE from my “Recognising Coercive Control” online toolkit. In response, I have developed a two-page explainer on what it is, what it looks like and some safety strategies (courtesy of my lived experience support group). Please use it with your clients or share it amongst your networks to increase awareness of this coercive tactic.
5 eDUCATIONAL VIDEOS ON COERCIVE CONTROL
Here are a selection of videos on coercive control that you can use for your learning or share with others.
gROUNDING: PRACTICAL WAYS TO FEEL MORE PRESENT AND STEADY
This printable grounding support resource has been developed for women impacted by domestic and family violence (DFV).
Grounding offers simple, practical ways to feel more present and steady during moments of overwhelm or when trauma responses are activated. It focuses on gentle strategies that support orientation to the here and now, without requiring disclosure, emotional processing, or revisiting past experiences.
The resource includes examples across three types of grounding:
Physical grounding (using the body and senses)
Soothing grounding (comfort and reassurance)
Mental grounding (orientation and thinking strategies)
Written in clear, supportive language, the resource is suitable for use across a range of settings, including refuges, outreach, counselling, advocacy, and phone-based support. Women can use the resource at their own pace and return to strategies whenever they feel it may be helpful.
9 gOOD BOOKS ON COERCIVE CONTROL
I’ve read a lot of books on coercive control over the years! I have shared 9 good books on coercive control in a downloadable Information Sheet. Some of these books are academic and others provide lived experiences on coercive control.
Enjoy your reading!
TRAUMA-INFORMED PRACTICE IN DOMESTIC AND FAMILY VIOLENCE: A PRACTICAL TOOL FOR CRISIS ACCOMMODATION SUPPORT WORKERS
This practical resource supports workers in crisis accommodation settings, such as women’s refuges and safe houses, to embed trauma-informed principles into everyday practice. It provides clear, real-world examples of how to create safety, trust, choice, empowerment, collaboration, and inclusion in client interactions.
While designed for crisis accommodation, the tool can also be used by any practitioner or support worker responding to domestic and family violence to strengthen trauma-informed approaches in their service.
Designed for individual reflection, team training, or supervision discussions.
