The definition of domestic violence varies
depending on the context in which the term is
used. A clinical or behavioral definition is “a pattern
of assaultive and/or coercive behaviors, including
physical, sexual, and psychological attacks, as well
as economic coercion, that adults or adolescents
use against their intimate partners.”1
Legal
definitions across the States generally describe
specific conduct or acts that are subject to civil and
criminal actions, and the specific language used may
vary depending on whether the definition is found in
the civil or criminal sections of the State’s code.