The Power and Control Wheel is a tool utilised in domestic violence services to understand the tactics abusers use to gain power and control over their victims. The wheel is instrumental to understanding how abusers operate. The wheel was created by the Domestic Abuser Intervention Programs as part of “The Duluth Model”, which focuses on training and education that teaches how to shift responsibility to abusers and better support survivors.

The wheel focuses on how eight different types of abuser tactics partner with physical and sexual violence (or the threat of physical and sexual violence) to dominate a victim. The wheel is made up of these component parts:

• Physical and Sexual Violence (outer ring)
• Using Intimidation
• Using Emotional Abuse
• Using Isolation
• Minimising, Denying and Blaming
• Using Children
• Using Male Privilege
• Using Economic Abuse
• Using Coercion and Threats

You can check out DAIP’s website for videos explaining each portion of the wheel.