The Power and Control Wheel

Abuse is often not one isolated incident. It can be part of an ongoing pattern designed to create power and control over another person.

The Power and Control Wheel is a widely used educational tool that helps people recognize some of the behaviors that can occur in abusive relationships.

These behaviors may include intimidation, emotional abuse, isolation, economic abuse, threats, coercion, using children as a means of control, minimizing what happened, denying abusive behavior, or blaming the survivor.

Physical and sexual violence may also be part of this pattern, but a relationship does not have to involve physical violence for the behavior to be harmful or abusive.

Sometimes seeing these behaviors described can help a person put words to experiences they have had difficulty explaining. It can also help survivors recognize that certain behaviors they may have become accustomed to are not part of a healthy relationship.

If you recognize parts of your own experience in the Power and Control Wheel, you do not have to decide what to do immediately. C.A.R.A. is available to listen, provide information, and help you explore your options in a confidential and supportive setting.

Learn more about patterns of abuse. Download our full Power and Control Wheel resource to explore the different ways power and control can appear in an abusive relationship.

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The Power and Control Wheel.pdf

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