Part of an ongoing series for WGA’s focus area: Addressing Violence Against Women and Girls
Naming violence against women is a first step toward ending it.
“The first time I saw the Power and Control Wheel, I gained clarity on trauma that I had been trying so hard to process.” — Survivor and WGA Member
When a woman is involved in an abusive relationship, finding the words to describe what she is enduring can feel impossible. The Power and Control Wheel changes that. Developed to name the hidden tactics abusers use to maintain dominance, this visual tool helps survivors like the one above understand that what they are experiencing is not love — it is control, intimidation, and violence. For many, seeing their experiences laid out in this framework is the first step toward their safety and future.
Using this Resource
The Power and Control Wheel is a proven tool for survivors and those who support them. Here are some ways you can use it:
- Personal Reflection: Review the wheel to identify any harmful patterns you may have experienced or witnessed in your own relationships.
- Support a Loved One: Privately share it with a friend or family member who may be struggling or has recently left an abusive partner. Let them know expert help is available at your local domestic violence or sexual assault center.
- Start Conversations: Post it in online women’s or parenting groups or include it in your philanthropic outreach to spark awareness and dialogue and share resources to get help.
- Empower Young People: Use it to discuss with teens and young adults about abuse – and what healthy, respectful love should look like.
This tool can be vital in discussions with therapists, attorneys, or advocates to help women describe their experiences clearly and build the case for their support. When you use the Power and Control Wheel with others, please only do so in a safe, private environment where an abuser is not around.
Building the Case
Many survivors find it hard to recall or talk about specific incidents of abuse, especially when fear and trauma are involved. The Power and Control Wheel provides language and structure to help survivors tell their stories.
One WGA member shared anonymously:
“The first time I saw the Power and Control Wheel, I gained clarity on trauma that I had been trying so hard to process. For example, as I reviewed the text of one spoke on the wheel – USING INTIMIDATION – I could recall and put into words some of what happened to me…
He (my ex-boyfriend) often used intimidation to make me afraid of him. He once pulled a gun on me, pointing it directly at me. He later told me that it wasn’t loaded. I will never know if that was true.
Another time, he strangled me. I realize now that he was using intimidation through this violence. He was showing me that he could kill me with his bare hands. He made sure that I knew how it felt to not breathe – to feel scared that at any point he could take my life.
I’m now in a supportive loving marriage, but other women and girls are living with this violence right now or are recovering from abuse in their past. This visual tool was so impactful for my own healing, that I have shared it with many other women. Will you please share it too?”
Stories Propel Our Work
Stories like this are powerful reminders of why this work matters. The programs supported by our philanthropy are lifesaving. We can create a world where women and girls live free from violence.
Now, you have a vital new tool to help make that vision a reality.
Learn more about the Power and Control Wheel and access printable copies here:
www.theduluthmodel.org/wheel-gallery