I think this is a great article!

In terms of coercive control, I agree with you that it's abuse, but I don't know how to criminalise it in a way that would maintain the burden of proof required for our justice system to function.

Also, I know your expertise is about domestic abuse in the context of a relationship, but my experience with coercive control was with my mother, and so I think sometimes the focus on it as if it was an "only male romantic partner problem" misses a massive spectrum of abuse towards children by their mothers. It's something that has happened to multiple friends of course. Not physical violence, but control over where you go and who you associate with, usually weaponising something like suicide as a guilt trip. For example my mother told me I had to stop supporting gay marriage or she would kill herself, and she monitored my internet so she could see if I did post about it. She also lied to my brothers and father that I had incestuous feelings towards them, in order to try and ruin my relationship with them. My best friend's mother told him when he was suicidal "I'll help you kill yourself" and "you're too weak to go through with it".

Can you criminalise stuff like this? I don't know that you can, but there definitely needs to be resources to help people break the cycle of abuse as a teen/young adult, maybe classes about how to recognise abuse and build self esteem in school? So that people then have the tools to protect themselves earlier on in life and they're less likely to fall into abusive romantic relationships too?

Other ideas are making counselling mandatory and regular for EVERYONE as a teenager, available at school as a regular class or something. Like DBT every week for an hour with the whole class. Normalising mental health as something that EVERYONE can benefit from, preventative just like getting regular checkups with the dentist or the GP. Making it be part of school would mean it's accessible to everyone.