What Is Abuse
There are many types of abuse, including domestic violence, physical abuse, emotional abuse, sexual abuse, financial abuse, digital abuse, and stalking.
Recognizing Patterns of Abuse
Power and Control
The Power and Control Wheel is a tool used to illustrate the patterns of behavior that abusers often use to maintain control over their survivors in abusive relationships, and can be helpful in clarifying the dynamics of abuse, raising awareness, empowering survivors, and guiding intervention.
Dynamics of Power and Control
The dynamics of power and control are central to all forms of abuse, whether physical, emotional, sexual, financial, or psychological.
In abusive relationships, the abuser seeks to dominate and manipulate the victim, often using tactics such as intimidation, isolation, and belittling to assert control.
The abuser may exploit the victim’s vulnerabilities or dependencies, creating an imbalance of power. This power dynamic perpetuates fear, dependency, and submission, making it difficult for individuals to make decisions about their safety.
Abuse is not merely about physical harm but about maintaining control over the victim’s decisions, actions, and sense of self-worth. Ultimately, the abuser’s goal is to maintain supremacy, while the victim is often left feeling powerless and trapped.
Power and control dynamics can vary. Learn the signs of abuse.
Power and Control Wheel
This power and control wheel illustrates the patterns of behavior that abusers often use to maintain control.
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Power and Control Wheel for LGBTQ+
This power and control wheel illustrates the patterns of behavior that abusers often use to maintain control within in gay, lesbian, queer, trans, or same sex relationships.
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Power and Control Wheel for Teens
This power and control wheel illustrates the patterns of behavior that abusers often use to maintain power and control over a teenager in a romantic relationship.
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Power and Control Wheel for Immigrants
This power and control wheel illustrates the patterns of behavior that abusers often use to maintain power and control over an immigrant or multi-cultural partner.
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Feeling unsafe?
- Call 911
- Call the Community Safety Network helpline at 1-307-733-7233 (SAFE)
- Call the U.S. National Domestic Violence hotline at 1-800-799-7233 (SAFE) or 1-800-787-3224.
- Call the U.S. National Teen Dating Violence helpline at 1-866-331-9474
- Call the U.S. National Sexual Assault hotline at 1-800-656-4673