Teen Power and Control Wheel

Dating Violence Among Teens can look like:

• Intimidation: Bullying you to get their way
• Anger: Controls you with her/her anger
• Threats: Threatens you, your friends or your family
• Social Status: Using popularity to control relationship
• Blame: Blames you for his or her anger
• Peer Pressure: He or she spreads rumors or secrets about you
• Sexual Coercion: Deliberate pregnancy or forced sexual acts
• Isolation: Prevents you from spending time with you friends or family

To read more about dating violence among teens visit WomensLaw.org Teens page or more about what abuse can look like in Teen Relationships check out ABC's Teen Dating Violence: Warning Signs.

Teen Power and Control Wheel

Power, Police and Domestic Violence

A post on Vintage Berry Wine blog discusses the huge problem of members of law enforcement who are abusive to their spouses and children. Since domestic violence is so much about power and control for the abuser, what do you do if you are a victim of domestic violence and your abuser is in a legal position of power over you?

The Purple Berets list statistics and other information about police brutality at home:

"Domestic violence is 2 to 4 times more common in police families than in the general population. In two separate studies, 40% of police officers self-report that they have used violence against their domestic partners within the last year. In the general population, it's estimated that domestic violence occurs in about 10% of families."

Domestic violence laws apply to everyone, including soldiers and police officers, but it may seem extra difficult if your abuser is one of those. You can read more about your rights on WomensLaw.org.

Power, Police and Domestic Violence

What is Domestic Violence?

Domestic Violence can look like many different things. It can also include types of sexual assault. There is also a new term called "Intimate Partner Violence" (IPV) which refers to abuse between two people in a close relationship, including past and present partners. No matter what someone's gender, sexual orientation, race or class ANYONE can be a victim of domestic violence. The power and control wheel (this one posted on The Riley Center website) illustrates some of the behaviors that are abuse:

Sometimes people do not even realize that what is happening to them is considered domestic violence and that they have a legal and human right to protection. Here is one story from a man who was beaten by his wife:

"I'm your basic middle class male who was raised to respect women and never hit them. I consider myself a good provider and who has had some success after my hard work has paid off with my authoring 2 best selling books and having sold a self-started company. I work hard and am a decent man. I am also one of those in total disbelief this would ever happen to me.

I hate the term battered man, I'm a DV survivor. And I can say the system (judicial, police, legal, local and state government agencies) does virtually nothing to help a man survive when they're on the receiving end of a female sociopath's attacks. In fact, the system has, in some ways, injured me more than my ex wife ever could.

My wife slapped me hard after I said no to her wanting to get donor sperm in order to get pregnant. Keep in mind her fertility doctor said there were NO physical problems with either of us to prevent her from getting pregnant. Keep in mind we'd only been trying for 4 months, but she felt entitled and was willing to beat anyone down who got in the way. . ."

You can read the rest here, as well as other stories from survivors.

What is Domestic Violence?