What kind of behavior can be called “domestic violence”?
“Domestic violence” is often defined as any extreme encounter within a home which results in sexual assault, bodily damage or fear of bodily harm. Domestic violence can occur between spouses or ex-spouses, people who were once romantically involved but no longer, or people related by blood or adoption. It encompasses abuse between domestic partners (past or present), spousal abuse, sibling conflict, child abuse and children’s abuse of parents. The law may also consider the following behaviors a form of domestic violence: verbal abuse, intimidation, cutting off a person from family and friends, sexual abuse, and manipulation through threats or financial deprivation. Domestic violence destroys the home. No one deserves to be abused. The responsibility for the violence belongs to the abuser. It is not the victim’s fault!
