the essential guide - Texas Council on Family Violence

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Understanding <strong>the</strong> Dynamics of Family ViolenceWhile <strong>the</strong>re are many different <strong>the</strong>ories as to <strong>the</strong> causes of family violence, leaders in <strong>the</strong> family violencefield, along with <strong>the</strong> <strong>Texas</strong> <strong>Council</strong> on Family Violence, believe that family violence is rooted in batterers’desire to maintain power and control over <strong>the</strong>ir partners and that it is a learned behavior.As emphasized above, family violence is a pattern of coercive, controlling behaviors that may include awide range of abusive tactics. In addition to physical and sexual abuse, batterers may use many tactics toexert power and control over a partner, including:Coercion and Threats: Includes threatening to harm ano<strong>the</strong>r person or self, to leave, to report toauthorities, to make <strong>the</strong>ir partner drop charges or force participation in illegal activities.Intimidation: Includes using looks, gestures and actions to make partner feel afraid. This may alsoinclude displaying weapons and abusing pets.Emotional Abuse: Using insults, disrespectful names, guilt or humiliation to make <strong>the</strong>ir partnersfeel bad about <strong>the</strong>mselves.Isolation: Includes controlling <strong>the</strong>ir partner’s actions and interaction with friends and family oroutside influences. Examples include: giving a curfew, restricting access to transportation,barricading inside <strong>the</strong> home and not allowing employment.Minimizing, Denying, Blaming: Includes making light of <strong>the</strong> abuse, saying <strong>the</strong> abuse did nothappen and shifting blame to <strong>the</strong> partner.Children: Using children to relay messages, threatening to take children away or threatening toreport partner to Child Protective Services (CPS).Male Privilege: Includes not allowing input into decision making, treating partner as a servantand using traditional gender roles to gain power and control in <strong>the</strong> relationship.Economic Abuse: Preventing partner from getting or keeping a job, making partner ask formoney and hiding financial information or access to <strong>the</strong> family income.Power and Control WheelA Power and Control Wheel, created by Domestic Abuse Intervention Project (DAIP), can be very helpfulin individual advocacy work as it offers survivors an opportunity to recognize and name a wide range ofabusive tactics that may have never been identified as abuse.THE ESSENTIAL GUIDE: AN INTRODUCTION TO ADVOCATING FOR SURVIVORS OF FAMILY VIOLENCE10 | P a g e
Power and Control WheelThe Intended Consequences of Family ViolenceYou are probably aware of many of <strong>the</strong> negative impacts of family violence, but keep in mind that <strong>the</strong>seharms are <strong>the</strong> intended results of a batterer’s abusive tactics.As a means of gaining and keeping control over a partner, a batterer may: Prevent <strong>the</strong> partner from sleeping. Withhold food. Withhold needed medications and cut off access to medical care or disability services. Force use of alcohol or drugs. Force a partner to watch mistreatment or abuse of children. Prevent <strong>the</strong> partner from caring for, comforting, or meeting <strong>the</strong> basic needs of children. Force a partner to engage in criminal activity. Force a partner to engage in degrading or exploitive sexual acts.Exploit a partner’s immigration status.THE ESSENTIAL GUIDE: AN INTRODUCTION TO ADVOCATING FOR SURVIVORS OF FAMILY VIOLENCE11 | P a g e
Page 2 and 3: Table of ContentsIntroduction: Hist
Page 4 and 5: provide a unified statewide presenc
Page 6 and 7: The Family Violence Prevention and
Page 8 and 9: The chapters that follow will provi
Page 12: Leaving an Abusive RelationshipTher
Page 15 and 16: Helps Plan for Future Safety Helps
Page 17 and 18: What is Active Listening?Active Lis
Page 19 and 20: Focus on SafetySurvivors of family
Page 21 and 22: Safety PlanningAs advocates, we nee
Page 23 and 24: Would the informat
Page 25 and 26: Victims who witness the</st
Page 27 and 28: Temporary Ex Parte Protective Order
Page 29 and 30: Here is an overview of some of <str
Page 32 and 33: Family Law CasesFamily Law Cases ar
Page 34 and 35: A common way abusers instill fear i
Page 36 and 37: An Advocate’s Role…AssessExplor
Page 38 and 39: Pregnant women not eligible for Med
Page 40 and 41: Texas Advocacy Gui
Page 42 and 43: GuardianshipIn some cases, an adult
Page 44 and 45: Resources to AssessQuestions to Ask
Page 46 and 47: VAWA protections (VAWA)VAWA require
Page 48 and 49: These protections fall into a few d
Page 50 and 51: housing and homeless issues in <str
Page 52 and 53: Individuals respond to traumatic ev
Page 54 and 55: Relocation Rental AssistanceRelocat
Page 56 and 57: Law Enforcement & Legal Services•
Page 58 and 59: Chapter 8: Coordination of Communit
Page 60 and 61:
The end result of a well-maintained
Page 62 and 63:
The success of offenders in a BIPP
Page 64 and 65:
Finding SupportSince the</s
Page 66 and 67:
Economic Justice ResourcesNational
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the essential guide - Texas Council on Family Violence

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