Section 54F — Crimes Act 1900 (NSW)

(1) In this Division, abusive behaviour means behaviour that consists of or involves—
(a) violence or threats against, or intimidation of, a person, or
(b) coercion or control of the person against whom the behaviour is directed.
(2) Without limiting subsection (1), engaging in, or threatening to engage in, the following behaviour may constitute abusive behaviour—
(a) behaviour that causes harm to a child if a person fails to comply with demands made of the person,
(b) behaviour that causes harm to the person against whom the behaviour is directed, or another adult, if the person fails to comply with demands made of the person,
(c) behaviour that is economically or financially abusive,
(d) behaviour that shames, degrades or humiliates,
(e) behaviour that directly or indirectly harasses a person, or monitors or tracks a person’s activities, communications or movements, whether by physically following the person, using technology or in another way,
(f) behaviour that causes damage to or destruction of property,
(g) behaviour that prevents the person from doing any of the following or otherwise isolates the person—
(i) making or keeping connections with the person’s family, friends or culture,
(ii) participating in cultural or spiritual ceremonies or practice,
(iii) expressing the person’s cultural identity,
(h) behaviour that causes injury or death to an animal, or otherwise makes use of an animal to threaten a person,
(i) behaviour that deprives a person of liberty, restricts a person’s liberty or otherwise unreasonably controls or regulates a person’s day-to-day activities.

Related sections

• s 54C — Definitions
• s 54D — Abusive behaviour towards current or former intimate partners
• s 54E — Defence
• s 54G — Meaning of “course of conduct”
• s 54H — Procedural requirements
• s 54I — Coercive Control Implementation and Evaluation Taskforce

Research how courts apply s 54F

BriefBridge searches NSW and High Court caselaw by meaning — every answer cited to the paragraph.