The Power and Control Wheel
Copyright by the Domestic Abuse Intervention Project
The Power and Control Wheel is a tool that categorizes the varied obvious and subtle ways people can abuse their partners. The Wheel highlights a range of behaviors and tactics outside of physical violence (for example, isolation, intimidation, emotional and economic abuse) that are not always easy to recognize as abusive. It’s also worth exploring the many adaptations of the Power and Control Wheel that identify how various identities (e.g. sexual orientation, race, religion, age, disability) are weaponized by abusers and shape the experiences of survivors. Other variations of the Wheel focus on power and control in particular settings, such as health care, religion, and workplace bullying.
This video explains the Power and Control Wheel and different tactics abusers use.
