What is Domestic Violence?

• Battering is a pattern of behavior used by someone to establish and maintain power and control over an adult intimate partner and/or family member.
• Battering is never an isolated incident. Abusers use a series of
tactics to hold power and control over their victims.

The Power and Control Wheel is a general guide to these tactics. These tactics are strategies, not sudden flashes of uncontrollable anger. It is important to understand that people who abuse choose to be violent.