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naming the tactics

The Power & Control Wheel

A framework developed in Duluth, Minnesota in 1984 to map the tactics used to maintain control in abusive relationships.

The eight spokes

  • ·Using intimidation
  • ·Using emotional abuse
  • ·Using isolation
  • ·Minimising, denying, blaming
  • ·Using children
  • ·Using male privilege (or institutional power)
  • ·Using economic abuse
  • ·Using coercion and threats

Why it's still relevant 40 years later

The Wheel is used by domestic violence advocates worldwide because it makes the invisible visible. Many survivors describe the moment they saw the Wheel as the moment they finally had language for what they'd been living.

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https://sistersignal.org/resources/power-control-wheel

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