Queensland is launching two community campaigns to raise awareness of domestic and family violence and coercive control, and sexual consent.
Two powerful community awareness campaigns have been launched by the Miles Government to promote affirmative sexual consent and recognition of the patterned nature and impacts of coercive control – an underpinning dynamic of domestic and family violence.
'Only 100% is Consent' and 'Patterns of Coercive Control' seek to educate the community about new laws that will criminalise coercive control as a standalone offence, while also strengthening sexual consent laws.
The strengthened sexual consent laws will commence on 23 September 2024, with the coercive control offence commencing on 26 May 2025.
The campaigns will run across television, digital streaming services, print, commercial and community radio, search and social media channels.
According to the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, an estimated 3.8 million Australian adults reported experiencing physical and/or sexual family and domestic violence since the age of 15, while 3.6 million had experienced emotional abuse at least once by a partner since the age of 15.
Only 100% is Consent is pitched to raise awareness of what the affirmative model of consent looks like in practice, emphasising a free, voluntary, and mutual agreement when participating in sexual activity, particularly for young Queenslanders.
It highlights how affirmative consent is clear, simple and a fundamental part of healthy and positive sexual experiences, while also showing scenarios that demonstrate how people can create a safe space for their partner/s to say no or withdraw consent.
Campaign resources demonstrate healthy and positive sexual experiences while educating Queenslanders about offences - such as non-consensual condom removal or tampering, known as 'stealthing', which once commenced, will be explicitly recognised in law as rape.
Reform to consent laws in Queensland will support the prevention of sexual violence, clarify misunderstood sexual offences and drive change in the way offences are prosecuted and defended in the justice system – removing outdated stereotypes and myths.
Patterns of Coercive Control has been created to educate the community on the signs and seriousness of coercive control, the severe impacts it can have and available support options, while also providing information on upcoming changes to the law.
Coercive control is an ongoing pattern of abusive behaviours – not only physical violence – which hurt, isolate, frighten, or threaten another person with the intent to control or dominate them.
The campaign highlights different abusive behaviours, like stalking, and financial, psychological or emotional abuse. It shows how the community can recognise the signs of coercive control and demonstrates how the behaviours can be subtle and escalate over time.
The campaign is supported by tailored resources, including those for diverse groups who can be disproportionately impacted by domestic, family and sexual violence and experience unique forms of abuse. It has also been informed by the Queensland Government's Coercive control communication framework 2024–27.
Once commenced, the criminal offence of coercive control will carry a maximum penalty of 14 years imprisonment.
