Category > Relationships, Sex, Love & Relationships
The Power and Control wheel
PEER PRESSURE
Threatening to socially exploit the weaknesses of another. Spreading rumours. Pressuring him/ her to do something they do not want to do. Telling malicious lies about them.
ISOLATION/ EXCLUSION
Controlling what another does, who they see and
talk to, what they read, where they go, limiting outside involvement or using jealousy to justify actions.
SEXUAL COERCION
Manipulating or making threats to get sex. Getting someone drunk or drugged to get sex. Any unwanted sexual activity that happens when he/she is pressured, tricked, threatened, or forced in a nonphysical way to have sex. Coercion can also make you think that you owe sex to someone.
THREATS
‘Making and/or carrying out threats’ to do something to hurt another. Threatening to leave, to commit suicide, to report the victim to the police. Making the victim drop charges, making them do illegal things, blackmailing them with intimate or private content that the perpetrator has.
DENY/ BLAME/ MINIMIZE
Making light of the abuse and not taking concerns about it seriously. Saying the abuse didn’t happen. Shifting responsability for abusive behaviour. Saying the other
person caused it.
INTIMIDATION
Making someone afraid by using looks, actions, gestures. Smashing things. Destroying property. Abusing pets. Displaying weapons.
USING SOCIAL STATUS
Treating the other person as less. Making all the decisions. Acting like “the master of the castle”. Being the one that defines the roles of the relationship.
EMOTIONAL ABUSE/ ANGER
Putting the other person down. Making them feel bad about themselves. Name calling. Making them look like they are crazy. Playing mind games. Humiliating them. Making them
feel guilty.
