Abuse is a pattern of behavior in a relationship that is used to gain or maintain power and control over a partner. Abuse can be physical, sexual, emotional, economic, or psychological. Abuse can frighten, intimidate, terrorize, manipulate, hurt, humiliate, and injure. Abuse can happen to anyone: any race, age, sexual orientation, religion and gender. It can happen to couples who are married, living together or dating. It affects people of all socioeconomic backgrounds and all education levels. Abuse is serious, dangerous, and it happens, right here, to people you know. River City Domestic Violence Center is approaching this problem by offering safe immediate shelter for local victims of domestic violence, and preventing incidents of violence through education and community partnerships.
NAME CALLING, ISOLATION, JEALOUSY, CONTROL, PUNISHMENT, THREATS, HUMILIATION, ABANDONMENT, FEAR & INTIMIDATION. These are all signs you are in an abusive relationship. Violence should not be a part of anyone's life.
Power & Control Wheel
The Power and Control Wheel was developed by the Domestic Abuse Intervention Project in Duluth, MN. In the diagram below, the Power and Control Wheel assumes she/her pronouns for the victim and he/him pronouns for the perpetrator, but the abusive behavior that it details can happen to people of any gender or sexuality. The wheel serves as a diagram of tactics that an abusive partner uses to keep their victims in a relationship.
