In our journey to understand coercive control, we have explored the invisible prisons of emotional, psychological, and financial abuse. Now, we must confront the forms of abuse that make the threat of control terrifyingly tangible: physical and sexual coercion. These acts represent the ultimate violation of personal autonomy, using the body itself as a battleground to enforce dominance and shatter a person’s fundamental sense of safety.

Learning to distinguish between healthy, cautionary, and unhealthy relationship dynamics is a crucial form of self-care. Think of it as an emotional toolkit. To help you build yours, let’s explore the concept of relationship flags: Red, Amber, and Green.