Developing Queensland’s Coercive Control Communication Framework

We supported the Queensland Department of Justice and Attorney General to develop an evidence-driven, stakeholder-informed communication framework to guide effort to raise community awareness and understanding of coercive control and domestic and family violence.  

The communication framework is now available on the department’s website.  

We delivered a comprehensive desktop and environmental scan and review which sought to better understand:

• the public’s awareness and understanding of coercive control and DFV
• messages, sentiments and key issues/priorities in public conversations
• current communication and engagement strategies and campaigns locally, nationally and internationally
• understanding of DFV and coercive control (including proposed legislation changes).  

The desktop scan informed our approach to a hybrid Design Forum, which saw stakeholders from across the sector come together for the day in Brisbane and online. We designed and facilitated the forum with interactive activities that:

• informed guiding communication principles
• defined coercive control for communities  
• used situational personas to understand communication considerations, message needs, channels and tactics for victim/survivors, perpetrators and bystanders
• priority audience action plan development with targeted table discussions  
• sharing and reflecting the good work already happening in community.

We took insights from the desktop review, design forum, the Department-commissioned social and market research and digital and user experience research and developed a comprehensive communication framework.

The framework includes guiding principles and objectives and a strong strategic approach which draws on the COM-B behaviour change model.  

The framework sets the direction for Queensland Government but also includes very practical advice on how to best engage with and communicate with audiences including victim/survivors, bystanders, persons using violence, as well as diverse communities including First Nations communities, culturally and linguistically diverse communities, people with disability and LGBTIQA+ communities.  

We’re proud to have worked on such an important piece of work for the Queensland Government and look forward to seeing how this is rolled out practically across the state.