Family Violence is:Pattern of abusive behavior used by one family member or romantic partner to gain or maintain power and control over another family member or partner.May involve physical, sexual, emotional, economic, psychological, spiritual, technological actions and/or threats.This is not a legal definition and not all these behaviors are criminal acts or even illegal (that does not mean they are at all justified!).May happen to anyone regardless of race, age, formal education level, profession, economic status, marital status, sexual orientation, faith tradition, and/or gender identity.Science shows people in violent homes, including children, suffer lasting traumatic impacts on their brains.“Family Violence,” “Domestic Violence,” “Intimate Partner Violence” are often times used interchangeably.
The Power and Control wheel is a diagram that illustrates the various tactics (many non-physical) that a person causing harm or using violence uses to dominate their victim in a relationship. The inside of the wheel highlights various types of tactics a person causing harm or using violence may use to achieve Power & Control over the survivor. Even the threat of the physical/sexual violence can be enough to make the other tactics more “effective” in dominating/controlling the victim/survivor.The traditional “Power and Control Wheel” was first created by the Duluth Project, MN in the 1980s and has been popularly used ever since.  The wheel is a tool that helps make the pattern, intent, and impact of violence visible.Contact us about the Punjabi Sikh Power & Control Wheel.