Definition

Battering is a pattern of violent and coercive tactics whereby one person seeks to control the thoughts, beliefs or conduct of the other partner and to punish this person for resisting control (Hart, 1986).

• Pattern of Violent and Coercive Tactics: Physical violence may happen infrequently. Abusers use coercive behaviors every day that allow them to maintain control of the relationship.
• Threat of Violence: Non-violent tactics of control are always coupled with violence or the threat of violent actions.
• Memory of Abuse: One form of abuse (i.e. sexual, physical or emotional) does not happen in isolation from others. A victim carries the memory of past attempts to resist the abuser's control and the consequences they experienced. Physical or sexual violence only has to occur once to create a climate of fear and shape future actions for victims.
• Fear of Retaliation: Violence or threat of violence gives the batterer the power to enforce the victim's consequences if the victim challenges or resists.
• Domestic violence is not consensual: It is a pattern of behavior used by an individual to establish and maintain coercive control over his intimate partner. Domestic violence consists of physical, sexual, psychological, and/or emotional abuse. Over time, the abusive behavior may become more frequent and severe. Acts of domestic violence are committed by both adults and adolescents.
• Link between animal abuse and domestic violence: "The potential for cruelty to animals to be an indicator of the capacity for interpersonal violence has, in part, led to some states increasing their criminal penalties for severe animal maltreatment.... Increased penalties, including incarceration, for such cruelty can help remove violent individuals from the family and community and place them in settings where there is the potential for receiving therapy." (excerpt from an article written by Frank R Ascione called "Battered women's reports of their partners' and their children's cruelty to animals" submitted to the Journal of Emotional Abuse on 7/12/96).

What makes a crime domestic violence?

A crime is considered to be domestic violence when the crime is perpetrated by a family member, household member and/or intimate partner against another with whom a relationship exists as defined below:

• Spouses;
• Former spouses;
• Persons with a child in common regardless of marriage or having lived together;
• Adult persons related by blood or marriage;
• Adult persons who are presently residing together or who have resided together in the past;
• Persons 16 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 (see below for "Dating Relationship" definitions);
• Persons 16 years of age or older with whom a person sixteen years of age or older has or has had a dating relationship;
• Persons who have a biological or legal parent-child relationship, including stepparents, stepchildren, grandparents and grandchildren.

Dating Relationship RCW26.50.010 (3): A social relationship of a romantic nature. Factors that the court may consider in making the determination include:

• Length of time the relationship has existed
• Nature of the relationship
• Frequency of interaction between the parties