Power and Control

Using Coercion -Threats-Cultural Abuse

• Making and/or carrying out threats to do something to hurt her/him
• Threatening to leave her/him
• Threatening to commit suicide
• Threatening to report her/him to welfare
• Making her/him drop charges
• Making her/him do illegal things
• Making up traditions or culture to prove gender superiority
• Using God to control someone

Using Intimidation

• Using gestures, looks,or actions to make someone afraid
• Smashing things
• Destroying her/him property
• Abusing pets
• Displaying weapons

Using Emotional Abuse

• Name calling
•  Saying they/you are crazy
•  Mind games
•  Humiliation
•  Making you feel guilty
• Putting her/him down

Using Isolation

• Putting limits on another persons freedom
•  Limit outside contacts
• Using jealousy to justify actions
• Controlling where he/she goes
• Controlling who he/she speaks to

Minimizing-Denying & Blame

• Making light of the abuse
• Blaming victim for problems
• Not taking him/her concern about the abuse seriously
• Saying the abuses didn’t happen
• Shifting responsibility for abusive behavior
• Saying he/she caused it

Using Children

• Making her/him feel guilty about children
• Using the children to relay messages
• Using visitation to harass him/her
• Threatening to take the children away

Using Male Privilege

• Treating her/him like a servant
• Making all the big decisions
• Acting like the “Master of The Castle”
• Being the one to define gender roles

Using Economic Roles

• Preventing her/him from getting and holding a job
• Making him/her ask for money
• Giving her/him an allowance
• Taking her/him money
• Not letting her/him know about or have access to finances