​Domestic violence is a pattern of behaviors used to obtain or maintain power and control. Our framework for describing abuse is the Power and Control Wheel created by the Domestic Abuse Intervention Project in Duluth, MN. This wheel diagram serves as a guide to the tactics abusive partners use to keep survivors in a relationship.

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The inside of the wheel is composed of subtle and continuous behaviors that appear over time, while the outside ring represents physical and sexual violence. Therefore, abusive actions such as those depicted in the outer ring reinforce the regular use of other, more subtle methods found in the inner ring. You can download the wheel here.

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Also, there is the Equity Wheel, which is the counterpart to The Power and Control Wheel, thus demonstrating the qualities of a healthy relationship.