044 Acts that threaten, harass, or control

This subdivision includes acts that harass, threaten, or invade the privacy of an individual, excluding those offences that amount to assault, sexual assault or blackmail. The action may be face-to-face, by phone, online, written or by other methods. 

Stalking includes acts that cause psychological harm to a person, or to arouse apprehension or fear, through repeated pursuit, surveillance, communication, or interference. 

This may include following a person, watching a person in an intrusive way, interfering with the property of a person or the property of an associate, leaving unwanted gifts at a person’s home or workplace, sending offensive or excessive messages, unlawfully tracking a person or vehicle using digital technology, using third parties as intermediaries to contact or seek information about a person, or other behaviours that could be expected to cause stress, apprehension, or fear.

If stalking and harassment offences cannot be disaggregated, code to 0440.

• Ongoing following, tracking, or surveillance of a person that causes fear
• Stalking behaviours that occur in person, online, via other communication or surveillance methods, or a combination of these methods
• Other stalking offences

• Assault or violent threats constituting assault – coded to the relevant groups within 02 Assault
• Misuse of personal data, such as accessing data as an employee for personal gain – coded to 0841 Privacy offences
• Theft of personal data for financial gain – coded to 0841 Privacy offences

Threatening behaviour involves a declaration of an intention to injure or harm to a person, or to their property, family, or reputation. This includes giving a warning of intention to inflict a punishment or revenge – except where the threat constitutes blackmail or other extortion. The declaration may be by any method of communication.

• Bomb threats 
• Intimidation
• Online “trolling” involving threat
• Threat to cause fire or explosion
• Threat to destroy or damage property
• Threats to murder or injure that are not face-to-face where it is unlikely that these threats could be enacted
• Other threatening behaviour offences

• Assault or violent threats that constitute assault – coded to the relevant groups within 02 Assault
• Blackmail – coded to 0520 Blackmail or other extortion
• Causing actual reputational harm – coded to 0892 Defamation
• Destruction of or damage to property – coded to the relevant groups within 11 Property damage
• Threatening behaviour in a public place without a specific victim – coded to 1213 Riot or affray

Harassment or private nuisance includes any acts that harass or cause nuisance to a person that do not amount to assault, sexual assault, stalking, blackmail, or extortion, and where there is no direct threat made.

If stalking and harassment offences cannot be disaggregated, code to 0440.

• Nuisance phone calls, except calls to emergency services
• Ongoing interference with the enjoyment of private land
• Other harassment or private nuisance offences

• Blackmail – coded to 0520 Blackmail or other extortion
• Bomb threats – coded to 0442 Threatening behaviour
• Breach legislation related to unsolicited “spam” messages – coded to 0841 Privacy offences
• Causing reputational harm – coded to 0892 Defamation
• Hoax calls to emergency services – coded to 1529 Offences against government services, nec
• Stalking – coded to 0441 Stalking

Coercive control is an ongoing pattern of controlling and manipulative behaviours within an interpersonal relationship – usually a partner or spouse.  Emotional and psychological manipulation, dishonesty and threats may be used to isolate a person, harm their health, pressure a person into undertaking unwanted acts, or restrict their freedom, autonomy or access to their own money or property. 

A key feature of coercive control is that it is a pattern of behaviour over time.  This group excludes offences that constitute individual instances of sexual assault, assault, forced imprisonment, stalking, harassment, threatening behaviour, property damage, harm to animals or other discrete offences, though these offences may co-occur.  

• Emotional, psychological, and verbal abuse
• Ongoing pattern of controlling a person by threatening their children or pets
• Reproductive coercion and abuse
• Unlawful control of a person’s access to friends, family, healthcare, or other supports
• Unlawful control of a person’s autonomy, body, finances, or other freedoms
• Other forms of coercive control

• Forced marriage – coded to 0410 Human trafficking or slavery
• Neglect or ill-treatment of a person under care, such as a child or ageing parent – coded 0492 Neglect or ill-treatment of person under care
• Slavery-like conditions within a workplace – coded to 0410 Human trafficking or slavery