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It is crucial to amplify the voices of survivors to ensure their protection. By uniting our efforts, we can effectively combat domestic violence, sexual assault, and human trafficking. Together, we can create a safer environment and support those affected by these issues.
Contact the Department of Justice and inquire about narrowed definitions of Domestic Violence and Sexual Violence posted on their website!
The statutory definitions of domestic and sexual violence have not changed; however, the Department of Justice (DOJ) website previously included advocacy-based definitions that recognized various forms of abuse, including physical, emotional, and economic abuse. These forms of abuse are often used by abusers to gain and maintain power and control over their victims or survivors. The definitions currently posted on the DOJ’s website are narrower, primarily focusing on cases of violence classified as felony or misdemeanor crimes. This shift overlooks critical insights from those of us working directly in this field regarding power, control, and the cycle of violence..
Abuse usually does not begin with physical violence; instead, it typically escalates along a continuum. Failing to recognize the broader patterns of power and control in this progression may affect when or if a survivor seeks help and support. This could contribute to the already alarming rates of intimate partner homicides. With nearly forty years of experience supporting survivors of domestic and sexual violence, we understand that many individuals choose, for various valid reasons, not to report to law enforcement. Ignoring these experiences undermines and invalidates their choices.
Compare Current and Previous Definitions
Current: 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 intimate partner. Domestic violence can be physical, sexual, emotional, economic, psychological, or technological actions or threats of actions or other patterns of coercive behavior that influence another person within an intimate partner relationship. This includes any behaviors that intimidate, manipulate, humiliate, isolate, frighten, terrorize, coerce, threaten, blame, hurt, injure, or wound someone.
Source: https://www.justice.gov/ovw/domestic-violence
Previous: We define domestic violence as a pattern of abusive behavior in any relationship that is used by one partner to gain or maintain power and control over another intimate partner. 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.
Source: https://web.archive.org/web/20180409111243/https:/www.justice.gov/ovw/domestic-violence
Current: 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 intimate partner. Domestic violence can be physical, sexual, emotional, economic, psychological, or technological actions or threats of actions or other patterns of coercive behavior that influence another person within an intimate partner relationship. This includes any behaviors that intimidate, manipulate, humiliate, isolate, frighten, terrorize, coerce, threaten, blame, hurt, injure, or wound someone.
Source: https://www.justice.gov/ovw/domestic-violence
Previous: We define domestic violence as a pattern of abusive behavior in any relationship that is used by one partner to gain or maintain power and control over another intimate partner. 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.
Source: https://web.archive.org/web/20180409111243/https:/www.justice.gov/ovw/domestic-violence
Current: The term “sexual assault” means any nonconsensual sexual act proscribed by Federal, tribal, or State law, including when the victim lacks capacity to consent.
Source: https://www.justice.gov/ovw/sexual-assault#sa
Previous: Sexual assault is any type of sexual contact or behavior that occurs without the explicit consent of the recipient. Falling under the definition of sexual assault are sexual activities as forced sexual intercourse, forcible sodomy, child molestation, incest, fondling, and attempted rape.
Source: https://web.archive.org/web/20180406001042/https:/www.justice.gov/ovw/sexual-assault
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