It’s relatively common for perpetrators of family violence to threaten suicide to control a victim-survivor’s actions. A study by the Australian Institute of Criminology suggests 39% of women who experience coercive control are subject to perpetrators‘ threats of self-harm.
It’s relatively common for perpetrators of family violence to threaten suicide to control a victim-survivor’s actions. A study by the Australian Institute of Criminology suggests 39% of women who experience coercive control are subject to perpetrators‘ threats of self-harm.
Suicide threats can be related to mental health issues, a tactic of family violence, or sometimes both. As a result, victim-survivors may feel pressured to remain in an abusive relationship.
Men who kill their partners are 2,000 times more likely to experience suicidal ideation than the general population. For example, the man who killed Hannah Clarke and her children had threatened suicide multiple times in the lead-up to their murders.
It can then be tricky for police responding to these situations. Victoria Police officers who participated in my recently published research were concerned that when they prioritize suicide prevention over responding to family violence, victim-survivors are sometimes left without protection.
The intersection between mental health and family violence is a challenging area for both the legal and health systems, with a variety of laws surrounding both. These laws also differ between states and territories.
In Victoria, police have two main avenues to respond to perpetrator suicide threats: mental health legislation and family violence legislation.
Under mental health laws, police can put someone under the care of a hospital or health practitioners to prevent them harming themselves or others.
Meanwhile, suicide threats can be a form of family violence and coercive control.
