The "Duluth Model Power and Control Wheel" attributes domestic violence to male oppression of women. This is gender-polarizing, as we point out in the MenWeb article What's Wrong with the "Duluth Model"?. MenWeb has modified a model developed by Tom Graves, which he calls an inverted model, designed for female perpetrators and homosexual male perpetrators of domestic violence.

Duluth Model power and control wheel.

Revised for female perpetrators Control and abuse (destructive) Equality (constructive) Using coercion and threats making and/or carrying out threats to do something to hurt him

threatening to leave him, to commit suicide, to report him to welfare

threatening to call 911, say he was the abuser

was the abuser threatening to file false domestic violence, restraining order or child sexual abuse charges

making him drop charges

making him do illegal things

Denying or refusing to access to needed medical care or medications Negotiation and fairness seeking mutually satisfying resolutions to conflict

accepting change

being willing to compromise Using intimidation making him afraid by using looks, actions, gestures

smashing things

destroying his property

threatening to falsely accuse him of DV; daring him to phone 911

displaying weapons (such as knives) Non-threatening behaviour talking and acting so that he feels safe and comfortable expressing himself and doing things Using economic abuse refusing to contribute income to basic expenses

making him ask for money

giving him an allowance

taking his money

not letting him know about or have access to family income

Forcing him to take higher-paying, more hazardous, less satisfying job

preventing him from getting or keeping a job Economic partnership making money decisions together

making sure both partners benefit from financial arrangements Using emotional abuse putting him down

making him feel bad about himself

using sex as a weapon; withholding sex except as a "reward"

calling him names

making him think he's crazy

playing mind-games

humiliating him

making him feel guilty Respect listening to him non-judgmentally

being emotionally affirming and understanding

sharing responsibility for mutually-satisfying intimacy

valuing opinions Using gender privilege treating him like a servant

treating him as just a wallet

making all the big decisions

acting like the 'mistress of the house'

being the one to define male and female roles Shared responsibility mutually agreeing on a fair distribution of work

making family decisions together Using isolation controlling what he does, who he sees and talks to, what he reads, where he goes

limiting his outside involvement

using jealousy to justify actions Trust and support supporting his goals in life

respecting his right to his own feelings, friends, activities and opinions Using children making him feel guilty about the children

using the children to relay messages

alienating children from him

using visitation to harass him

threatening to take the children away Responsible parenting sharing parental responsibilities

being a positive non-violent role model for the children Minimising, denying and blaming making light of the abuse and not taking his concerns about it seriously

saying the abuse didn't happen

shifting responsibility for abusive behaviour

saying he deserved it

saying he caused it

saying it was the only way he would pay attention Honesty and accountability accepting responsibility for self

acknowledging past use of violence

admitting being wrong

communicating openly and truthfully Criticisms of the Duluth Wheel Approach MenWeb

(Hoff) Tom Graves, author

Gender-neutral model It's about blaming and shaming men, more than giving them the insights and support to help them stop their abusive behavior.

It's based on ideology, not science.

It ignores drinking, drugs, Borderline Personality Disorder and other serious psychological problems.

It says there is only one cause for domestic violence, and only one solution.

There's no real evidence it works .

It ignores domestic violence by women.

Women who need help can't get it.

It's taught by "wounded healers."

It's a gender-polarizing approach that only serves to perpetrate the "battle of the sexes." It assumes that violence is, in essence, 'male'. There is an implicit refusal - and in practice generally an explicit refusal - to acknowledge any violence done to men, especially by women. All responsibility for reducing violence and for creating co-operation is assigned to men - which in effect denies women any power to change their own circumstances, and consequently keeps them trapped in a subordinate 'victim' role. The methodology is intended to create responsible attitudes by challenging existing behaviour: yet programmes are often presented to men by women in a blaming, punitive environment, which is immediately counter-productive.