Power And Control Wheel

The Power and Control Wheel is a framework developed by the Domestic Abuse Intervention Project in Duluth, Minnesota to illustrate the tactics an abusive partner uses to maintain power and control in a relationship. The model posits that the goal of these tactics is to exert control over the victim, reflecting the abuser's belief that they are entitled to dominate their intimate partner.

Emotional abuse often involves a pattern of behaviors aimed at undermining the victim's self-worth and sense of reality over time. Common cycles can include gaslighting, intermittent reinforcement, and the use of shame, humiliation, and criticism to maintain control.

The opposite of the Power and Control Wheel is the Equality Wheel, also created by the Domestic Abuse Intervention Project. The Equality Wheel depicts behaviors that promote equality, mutual respect, trust, honesty, shared responsibility, and non-violence in a healthy relationship.