Power-Control Theory: Its Potential Application to Woman Battering

This paper presents a discussion of power-control theory and its potential application to the issues of woman battering. Power and control are fundamental concepts in the patriarchal family structure as well as in the relationships that exist between violent men and their battered wives, exwives, common-law wives, and girl friends. Power-control theory may explain some of the reactions, or lack of reactions, toward battered women on the part of the police, emergency room personnel, courts, legislators, and other criminal justice actors - and even on the part of the victims and batterers themselves.