What is Domestic Violence?
Under Washington law, “domestic violence” is defined as physical harm, bodily injury, assault, or the infliction of fear of physical harm, bodily injury, or assault; nonconsensual sexual conduct or nonconsensual sexual penetration; coercive control; unlawful harassment; or stalking of one intimate partner or family or household member by another intimate partner or family or household member.
When people say domestic violence, they usually mean intimate partner violence, which is is a pattern of behavior used to gain or maintain power and control over one’s intimate partner. Washington’s definition is more broad in some ways than this definition and more narrow in other ways.
The Power and Control Wheel illustrates some tactics used by abusers to maintain power and control over victims.
Understanding the Power and Control Wheel (from Domestic Abuse Intervention Programs)
DAIP has created a number of other illustrative wheels, including the Post-Separation Wheel, describing tactics of post-separation battering, the Abuse of Children Wheel, and the Christian Power and Control Wheel.