What Does "Domestic Violence" Mean?
What Crimes Are Considered "Domestic Violence?"
Domestic Violence Wheel
Equality Wheel
Are You In An Abusive Relationship?
Domestic Violence Facts and Figures

What Does "Domestic Violence" Mean?
Domestic violence is a learned pattern of physical, verbal, sexual and/or emotional behaviors in which one person in a relationship uses force and intimidation to dominate or control the other person. The partners may be married or not married; heterosexual, gay or lesbian; living together, separated or dating. Domestic violence occurs in all ages, races, genders and social classes. In Washington, Domestic violence is defined by RCW 10.99.02 As:

"Domestic violence" means:  (a) Physical harm, bodily injury, assault, or the infliction of fear of imminent physical harm, bodily injury or assault, between family or household members; (b) sexual assault of one family or household member by another; or (c) stalking as defined in RCW 9A.46.110 of one family or household member by another family or household member. "Family or household members" means: spouses, former spouses, persons who have a child in common regardless of whether they have been married or have lived together at any time, adult persons related by blood or marriage, adult persons who are presently residing together or who have resided together in the past, persons sixteen years of age or older who are presently residing together or who have resided together in the past and who have or have had a dating relationship, persons sixteen years of age or older with whom a person sixteen years of age or older has or has had a dating relationship, and persons who have a biological or legal parent-child relationship, including stepparents and stepchildren and grandparents and grandchildren. "Dating relationship" means: a social relationship of a romantic nature.  Factors that the court may consider in making this determination include:  (a) The length of time the relationship has existed; (b) the nature of the relationship; and (c) the frequency of interaction between the parties "Victim" means: a family or household member who has been subjected to domestic violence.

Assault in the first degree (RCW 9A.36.011); Assault in the second degree (RCW 9A.36.021); Assault in the third degree (RCW 9A.36.031); Assault in the fourth degree (RCW 9A.36.041); Drive-by shooting (RCW 9A.36.045); Reckless endangerment (RCW 9A.36.050); Coercion (RCW 9A.36.070); Burglary in the first degree (RCW 9A.52.020); Burglary in the second degree (RCW 9A.52.030); Criminal trespass in the first degree (RCW 9A.52.070); Criminal trespass in the second degree (RCW 9A.52.080); Malicious mischief in the first degree (RCW 9A.48.070); Malicious mischief in the second degree (RCW 9A.48.080); Malicious mischief in the third degree (RCW 9A.48.090); Kidnapping in the first degree (RCW 9A.40.020); Kidnapping in the second degree (RCW 9A.40.030); Unlawful imprisonment (RCW 9A.40.040); Violation of the provisions of a restraining order, no-contact order, or protection order restraining or enjoining the person or restraining the person from going onto the grounds of or entering a residence, workplace, school, or day care, or prohibiting the person from knowingly coming within, or knowingly remaining within, a specified distance of a location Rape in the first degree (RCW 9A.44.040); Rape in the second degree (RCW 9A.44.050); Residential burglary (RCW 9A.52.025); Stalking (RCW 9A.46.110); and Interference with the reporting of domestic violence (RCW 9A.36.150).

• physical assault or abuse --- hitting, pushing, shoving, slapping, choking, punching, kicking, grabbing, beating, throwing her down, tripping, twisting arms, biting, using a weapon
• threatened physical harm
• sexual assault or abuse --- unwanted, forced sexual activity, making her do sexual things against her will, physically attacking the sexual parts of her body, etc.
• stalking
• intimidation
• emotional abuse --- mind games, name-calling, put-downs, making the victim feel bad about herself
• jealousy --- a sign of possessiveness and lack of trust
• controlling behavior and forced isolation (from family or friends) --- controlling what the victim does, who the victim sees or talks to, where the victim goes, relocating to a remote area, etc.
• economic abuse --- preventing the victim from getting or holding a job, and controlling the purse-strings by withholding money, taking her earned money, giving her an allowance, making her ask for money, etc.

An important step to help yourself or someone you know prevent or stop violence is recognizing the warning signs listed on the "Violence Wheel".

• Get medical attention if you have been physically injured.
• Save evidence to document the abuse (medical records, photographs of injuries and damage to your property, etc.).
• Make a safety plan, which may include figuring out the "warning signs" that come before abuse:
• work out signals with neighbors to call the police
• ask a friend or relative to stay with you
• decide where you can go and what to take with you if you must leave (money, important documents, spare clothes, car keys, etc.)
• protect your children
• Report domestic violence and stalking to the police! They can & will:
• protect you from immediate danger, and help you and your children get out of the house safely;
• arrest the abuser without a warrant when there is reasonable cause to believe that an assault has taken place or that the abuser has violated a Protection Order or a restraining order;
• advise you of available shelter programs and other services in your area;
• write out a police report which can be used to help prove the abuse occurred and show good cause for a judge to grant a personal protection order or a restraining order.

... domestic violence affects a large percentage of our community?

• According to the FBI, 1 out of every 4 women is a victim of domestic violence at least once in her lifetime.
• In 55% of the cases where men are assaulting their partners, they are also assaulting their children. The battered mother may be suffering from physical and psychological injuries to the point that she cannot meet the needs of her children appropriately.
• A woman is beaten every 15 seconds. (Bureau of Justice Statistics, Report to the nation on Crime and Justice. Washington DC Office of Justice Program, US Dept. of Justice. Oct 1983)
• Domestic violence is the leading cause of injury to women between ages 15 and 44 in the united States - more than car accidents, muggings, and rapes combined. (Uniform Crime Reports, Federal Bureau of Investigation,1991)
• Battered women are more likely to suffer miscarriages and to give birth to babies with low birth weights. (Surgeon General, United States, 1992)
• Sixty-three percent of the young men between the ages of 11 and 20 who are serving time for homicide have killed their mother's abuser. (March of Dimes, 1992)

... battering is not just a "momentary loss of temper."

• The Surgeon General of the United States reports that 1 out of 5 women battered by their partners have been victimized over and over again by the same person.
• The American Medical Association defines domestic violence as an ongoing, debilitating experience of physical, psychological, and/or sexual abuse.
• Battering is the establishment of control and fear in a relationship through violence and other forms of abuse. The batterer uses acts of violence and a series of behaviors, including intimidation, threats, psychological abuse, isolation, etc. to coerce and to control the other person. The violence may not happen often, but it remains as a hidden (and constant) terrorizing factor. (Uniform Crime Reports, Federal Bureau of Investigation, 1990)
• "One in five women victimized by their spouses or ex-spouses report they had been victimized over and over again by the same person." (The Basics of Batterer Treatment, Common Purpose, Inc., Jamaica Plain, MA)

... domestic violence frequently produces serious injuries.

• Domestic violence is the leading cause of injury for women age 15 to 44. More women are injured from domestic violence than rapes, muggings and auto crashes combined.

... leaving an abusive relationship is not "easy".

• A study by the United States Department of Justice states that the most dangerous time for a woman who is being battered is when she leaves.
• Women who leave their batterers are at a 75% greater risk of being killed by the batterer than those who stay. (Barbara Hart, National Coalition Against Domestic Violence, 1988)
• Nationally, 50% of all homeless women and children are on the streets because of violence in the home. (Senator Joseph Biden, U.S. Senate Committee on the Judiciary, Violence Against Women: Victims of the System, 1991)
• There are nearly three times as many animal shelters in the United States as there are shelters for battered women and their children. (Senate Judiciary Hearings, Violence Against Women Act, 1990)

... most battered women leave violent relationships.

• Many battered women do leave their abusers permanently and succeed in building a life free of violence. Almost all battered women leave at least once.

... domestic violence knows no boundaries.

• People of all socio-economic classes, races, religions, ethnic backgrounds, and sexual orientations can be victims of domestic violence. Many statistics have been gathered from lower-class families, but only because lower-class women are more likely to request assistance from agencies, so their problems are more visible. Many upper-class victims fear making their battering public because of social embarrassment and fear that it may harm their husband's careers.
• Women of all cultures, races, occupations, income levels, and ages are battered - by husbands, boyfriends, lovers and partners. (Surgeon General Antonia Novello, as quoted in Domestic Violence: Battered Women, publication of the Reference Department of the Cambridge Public Library, Cambridge, MA)
• "Approximately one-third of the men counseled (for battering) at Emerge are professional men who are well respected in their jobs and their communities. These have included doctors, psychologists, lawyers, ministers, and business executives. (For Shelter and Beyond, Massachusetts Coalition of Battered Women Service Groups, Boston, MA 1990)
• Violence is the reason stated for divorce in 22% of middle-class marriages. (EAP Digest November/December 1991)

... married women are not the only victims of domestic violence.

• People who are dating, separated, living together, divorced, have a child in common and/or are married, can be abused. Domestic violence can occur in any of these relationships.

... women are not "just as violent as men."

• In 97% of domestic assaults, the man is the perpetrator of the violence.

Contact the Prosecuting Attorney with questions or comments about the information on this page