Massachusetts courts now recognize “coercive control” as a form of domestic violence under the updated restraining order law. This new legal provision covers a broad range of behaviors intended to dominate or isolate a family or household member. Examples include:

• Isolating the victim from friends, family, or other sources of support
• Depriving them of basic necessities
• Regulating or restricting their daily household activities
• Harming or threatening to harm a child or relative
• Engaging in animal cruelty
• Intentionally damaging the victim’s property
• Threatening to share or share sensitive personal information, such as sexually explicit images
• Coercing the victim into certain behaviors or preventing them from acting freely, including being forced into illegal activities.

This significant legal shift allows survivors of non-physical abuse to seek protection through the courts, reflecting a broader understanding of how control and psychological manipulation can cause harm.

While the inclusion of coercive control in the restraining order law makes sense in many cases, particularly in addressing forms of abuse that aren’t physical.  It also introduces significant grey areas. Determining whether someone’s behavior legally qualifies as coercive control can be highly subjective, and the courts are still developing standards for how to assess these claims. Questions remain about how much evidence is required, what kind of behavior crosses the legal threshold, and how to balance protection for survivors with due process for those accused. As a result, there is ongoing concern about how consistently and fairly restraining orders will be issued under this expanded definition.