Domestic Violence

While domestic violence is commonly thought of as violence by men against women, in reality the definition of the crime is not so simple. The crime has different definitions from state to state, but generally encompasses any physically violent act or mental abuse visited upon a party by someone in that person's home, or by someone with whom a family or ongoing social relationship is shared. Domestic violence can be exhibited by women against men, by people who have a child together even if they are no longer together, and even in some cases by parents against children or by roommates sharing a home, depending on how your state defines the offense. Such violence is a criminal act and one that brings a host of repercussions for any person inflicting this type of violence on a victim. For more information on the definition or consequences of domestic violence see the articles and answers to frequently asked questions in this section.