Power and Control Wheel- Immigrant

Abuse is a pattern, and is not limited to physical or sexual violence. Abuse can take many forms but always comes from a desire to exert power or control over another person. Regular or occasional use of non-consensual, coercive, manipulative, intimidating, or controlling behavior in a relationship is abuse. Abuse – whether it is physical, emotional, financial, or sexual – is not okay, and it’s not your fault.

Immigrant individuals are at higher risk for intimate partner violence. Abusers often use social injustices like racism, xenophobia, machismo, etc. to further perpetuate and justify violence. Immigrant victims often feel trapped in abusive relationships because of immigration laws, language barriers, social isolation, and lack of financial resources among many other factors. The immigrant power and control wheel helps us understand the unique threats and tactics that abusers may use when perpetuating abuse against their immigrant partners.

The Power and Control Wheel is a tool to understand the different forms abuse can take. It can help you understand if what you are experiencing is abuse by identifying controlling patterns of behavior used by an abuser.

Physical and Sexual Violence are more commonly understood methods of an abuser exerting power and control over someone, but behavioral patterns are also abuse.  The following are examples of behavioral abuse:

Coercion and Intimidation

Threatening to call immigration on you, using adjustment of status as a pawn piece to get their way, telling you you can’t call the police for help because of your status.

Intimidation

Holding or destroying important documentation for you or your dependents (passport, ID, birth certificate, etc.)

Emotional Abuse

Using gender and societal norms to minimize or justify abuse. Familiamism or Machismo.

Isolation

Not allowing you to learn the languge, or to be integrated into your new community. Keeping you from friends, family or anyone else who also speaks the same language.

Spiritual Abuse

Forcing you or your dependents to practice a religion you disagree with. Using religion or spiritual beliefs to minimize or justify abuse.

Using Dependents

Threatening to take children away, saying you have no rights over dependents because of your status, threatening to report you to DFS, forcing you to stay home to take care of dependents.

Cultural Abuse

Using racist names or stereotypes. Mocking accent,dress or appearance, not allowing to participate in cultural events.

Economic Abuse

Threatening to report youfor working “under the table,” not including you in major economic decisions (sending money to home country), giving you an allowance or making you ask for money.