Domestic violence can be summarized with the Power and Control Wheel below.  At the hub of the wheel is the batterer's need for control.  The spokes radiating out from the hub represent the tactics the batter uses to control his victim.  The rim of the wheel represents the violent physical and sexual acts the batterer has used on his victim in the past, and holds everything in place.  For example, the intimidation works as a tactic, because the victim has experienced such violence in the past, and her behavior is now controlled by the intimidation alone.