South Carolina Seeks to Define and Combat "Coercive Control" With New Bill

COLUMBIA, S.C. (WMBF) - A bill in the South Carolina Senate would further define and make what’s known as “coercive control” a crime in the state.

S. 588, Introduced on Tuesday by Republican Senator Stephen Goldfinch, this legislation would establish the crime of "coercive control over another individual" in South Carolina.

It defines coercive behavior as “an act or pattern of acts of assault, threats, humiliation, manipulation, intimidation, or other abuse, including emotional abuse, that is used to harm, punish, or frighten another person by fraudulent representations.”

The proposal also outlines what’s considered “controlling behavior,” which includes “a range of acts designed to make a person subordinate or dependent by isolating the person from sources of support, exploiting the person’s resources and capacities for personal gain, depriving the person of the means needed for independence, resistance, or escape, or regulating the person’s everyday behavior.”

The bill lists specific examples of the type of behavior and evidence that could be gathered in a coercive control case.

After being introduced on Tuesday, the bill was referred to the South Carolina Senate Judiciary Committee. It’s unclear when it will be discussed there.

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