What Qualifies as Domestic Violence?

The expression "domestic violence" was first used in the modern context of "spouse abuse/violence in the home" in 1977.  Though it has been called many things, domestic violence has a vast history in the United States, and has long been condemned from a legal standpoint. 

Commonly, domestic violence involves couples who have an intimate relationship, such as couples who are married, live together, have lived together, or have a common child.  Domestic violence occurs when individuals use physical violence, emotional abuse, threats, harassment, or stalking to control the behavior of their partner. 

Domestic violence is also commonly referred to as domestic abuse, spousal abuse, child abuse, or intimate partner violence (IPV).  Broadly defined, it is a pattern of abusive behaviors by one or more partners in an intimate relationship, such as family, dating, marriage, cohabitation, or even friends.

The Many Forms of Domestic Violence

Domestic violence comes in many forms, both physical and emotional.  It includes many forms of physical aggression, such as hitting, shoving, biting, kicking, restraining and throwing objects.  It also includes threats of the previously mentioned physical aggression.  Other forms of domestic violence are sexual abuse, emotional abuse, acts of controlling and/or domineering, intimidation, stalking, passive/covert abuse (such as neglect), and economic deprivation.

Domestic violence may or may not be considered a crime, depending on local statutes, the duration and severity of certain acts, and possibly other variables.  Alcohol consumption or mental illness may present additional challenges when present alongside patterns of abuse. 

It's A Lot More Common Than You Think

Often, when a situation arises, one or more individuals involved in a domestic dispute call the police.  Sometimes policeman don't know who to believe.  Commonly, women are thought of as the victims of domestic violence, though this is not always the case.  Individuals are often wrongly accused and arrested.  If you feel you have been wrongly accused of domestic violence, hiring an experienced domestic violence lawyer can be of great assistance. 

Domestic violence is one of the most commonly unreported crimes in the United States.  However, it is also one of the most falsely reported.