Domestic violence is a pattern of abusive behavior in any relationship that is used by one partner to gain or maintain power and control over another.Domestic violence can be physical, sexual, emotional, economic, or psychological actions or threats of actions that influence another person. This includes any behaviors that intimidate, manipulate, humiliate, isolate, frighten, terrorize, coerce, threaten, blame, hurt, injure, or wound someone. (From: https://www.ojp.gov/sites/g/files/xyckuh241/files/archives/factsheets/ojpfs_domesticviolence.html).

Deliberate, often repetitive, physical abuse by one family member against another: marital partners, parents, children, siblings, or any other member of a household; covers abuse of cohabiting partners (homo and heterosexual).

(intimate partner violence) Intimate partner violence (IPV) is abuse that happens in a romantic relationship. The intimate partner could be a current or former spouse or dating partner. IPV is also known as domestic violence. IPV can happen one time, or it may be ongoing. It may include different types of abuse, such as: Physical violence, which is when a person hurts or tries to hurt a partner by hitting, kicking, or using another type of physical force; Sexual violence which involves forcing or attempting to force a partner to take part in sexual activity when the partner does not or cannot consent. The sexual activity could include things like sex acts, sexual touching, or non-physical sexual events (e.g., sexting); Emotional abuse, which includes threats, name-calling, put-downs, and humiliation. It can also involve controlling behavior, such as telling a partner how to act or dress and not letting them see family or friends; Economic abuse, also called financial abuse, involves controlling access to money; Stalking, which is repeated, unwanted contact that causes fear or concern for the safety of the partner. This can include watching or following the partner. The stalker may send repeated, unwanted phone calls or texts.

Domestic violence includes physical, sexual, and psychologic abuse between people who live together including sex partners, parents and children, children and grandparents, and siblings. Domestic violence includes intimate partner violence (IPV), which refers to physical, sexual, or psychologic abuse by a current or former sex partner or...

The medical literature defines domestic violence in different ways. In this article, domestic violence refers to the victimization of a person with whom the abuser has or has had an intimate, romantic, or spousal relationship.

Domestic violence, social and legal concept that, in the broadest sense, refers to any abuse--including physical, emotional, sexual, or financial--between intimate partners, often living in the same household. The term is often used specifically to designate physical assaults upon women by their male...