Recognising the Difference Between Care and Control
Recognising the Difference Between Care and Control is vital to protecting emotional boundaries and personal freedom. Sometimes, what appears as care—constant checking in, decision-making “for your own good,” or concern about your choices—can actually be control in disguise. This course helps you understand where healthy support ends and coercive behavior begins.
Understanding the line between caring behaviour and controlling behaviour is essential in any relationship. While caring actions promote well-being and respect, controlling behaviours limit personal freedom and autonomy. This distinction is often subtle, as coercive control may start under the guise of concern, gradually becoming more restrictive over time.
Our Family Violence Mindset Solutions Coercive Control Course explores this distinction in depth, helping individuals differentiate between genuine care and harmful control.
Signs of Caring vs. Controlling Behaviour
- Respect for Boundaries – True care respects your choices, while control disregards your personal boundaries and autonomy.
- Open Communication vs. Demands – Caring behaviour involves asking questions and respecting your responses. Control involves making demands, often with an expectation of compliance.
- Support vs. Surveillance – Support involves encouraging growth and independence, whereas control often includes monitoring your movements and decisions.
- Empowerment vs. Dependency – Caring promotes self-confidence and autonomy, while control aims to increase dependency on the abuser.
- Emotional Reassurance vs. Emotional Manipulation – Caring partners offer reassurance without expecting something in return. In contrast, controlling partners may use emotional manipulation to maintain power.
Our resources at Family Violence Mindset Solutions are designed to help individuals recognise these distinctions, empowering them to foster healthy relationships. Explore our course to learn more about navigating relationships with confidence and awareness.
Empowering Individuals to Recognise Healthy Boundaries
Knowing the difference between care and control is crucial for maintaining autonomy. Family Violence Mindset Solutions is here to support you in building healthy, empowering relationships. Contact us for more insights on navigating care versus control.