When Coercive Control Doesn’t End After Separation with Jess Hill

<p>In this episode of <em>Perfect Prey</em>, I’m joined by award-winning journalist and author Jess Hill for an important conversation about coercive control, domestic abuse, victim-survivors, children, and post-separation abuse.</p><p>We explore what coercive control looks like, why it can be difficult to recognize, and how perpetrators maintain power through psychological, emotional, financial, and other forms of abuse. We also discuss how abuse can continue after separation through stalking, harassment, legal systems, and family court.</p><p>Jess and I examine the impact on children, the importance of recognizing coercive control when assessing risk, and her work toward criminalizing coercive control in Australia—while emphasizing that legal reform is only one part of creating meaningful change for victim-survivors.</p><p><br></p><p>What we cover</p><p>• What coercive control actually is—and why it is often misunderstood</p><p>• How coercive control can be difficult to recognize while you are experiencing it</p><p>• The psychological and emotional impact of living under coercive control</p><p>• Why leaving an abusive relationship does not necessarily mean the abuse ends</p><p>• Post-separation abuse, stalking, harassment, and continued control</p><p>• How children experience and are affected by coercive control</p><p>• The ways children can become part of an abusive dynamic</p><p>• Family court and the challenges faced by victim-survivors navigating legal systems</p><p>• Why understanding patterns of behavior matters when assessing risk</p><p>• The importance of listening to victim-survivors and taking coercive control seriously</p><p>• Jess’s work toward criminalizing coercive control in Australia</p><p>• Law reform, prevention, and creating meaningful systemic change</p><p><br></p><p>Why listen</p><p>Coercive control is often misunderstood because it does not always look like what people expect abuse to look like. There may be no single incident that explains what is happening. Instead, control can develop through patterns of behavior that gradually restrict a person’s autonomy, freedom, relationships, and sense of self.</p><p><br></p><p>This conversation is also about what happens after a victim-survivor leaves. Separation can become another stage of control, particularly when perpetrators use legal systems, children, stalking, or other mechanisms to maintain power.</p><p><br></p><p>For survivors, protective parents, clinicians, attorneys, advocates,