The WA government is seeking views on whether to introduce specific laws to criminalise coercive control.
Coercive control can involve a pattern of assault, threatening behaviour, humiliation, manipulation, financial control and intimidation and it disproportionately affects women.
It can lead to further violence, including homicide.
The government is seeking submissions from survivors, members of the public, legal and family violence specialists on whether a legislative approach would work.
The consultation will also consider awareness of coercive control and look at how frontline responders can recognise patterns of abuse.
"Coercive control is a pattern of persistent abusive behaviour that aims to manipulate, intimidate and isolate victims mentally, emotionally, socially and financially," Family and Domestic Violence Prevention Minister Simone McGurk said.
"As a government, we want to make sure any measures that are put in place achieve the best outcomes for victim-survivors, and that is why consultation is so important."
The NSW government has committed to criminalising coercive control legislation this year, while economic and emotional abuse or intimidation is already criminalised in Tasmania.
Internationally, coercive control has been criminalised in the UK.
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