Everyone has some degree of power, though arrangements can be made to balance it, both formally through laws and policies or informally through social roles and relationships. Balancing power helps build healthy relationships and protects individuals, as an imbalance increases the risk of harm, while positive uses of power show respect for all people and their safety rights.

1. Power in Relationships

2. What Gives People Power? Everyone has power In some ways. With power comes the responsibility to use the power in ways that show respect and concern for others.

3. Power in Relationships Arrangements for balancing power can be formal and written down, for example: the Australian Constitution anti-discrimination laws school rules and teachers' code of conduct.

4. Power in Relationships Informal and not written down, for example: friends work out how decisions are made and how conflicts are resolved family members take on different roles and responsibilities.

5. Power in Relationships People are more at risk of being emotionally and physically hurt when they have relatively little power in a situation.

6. Power in Relationships Balancing power helps to build healthy, fair relationships between individuals.

7. People make choices about using the power they have Positive use of power involves acting or influencing others in ways which show respect for yourself and for others. It also involves protecting your own and others rights to safety. Abuse of power occurs when people do not respect the rights of others or themselves