| Domestic violence (sometimes referred to as | | | | |
| domestic abuse) occurs when a family member, | | | | Domestic violence occurs in all cultures; |
| partner or ex-partner attempts to physically | | | | people of all races, ethnicities, religions, |
| or psychologically dominate another. Domestic | | | | and classes can be perpetrators of domestic |
| violence often refers to violence between | | | | violence. Domestic violence is perpetrated |
| spouses, but can also include cohabitants and | | | | by, and on, both men and women, and occurs in |
| non-married intimate partners. The term | | | | same-sex and opposite-sex relationships. |
| "intimate partner violence" (IPV) is often | | | | |
| used synonymously. Other terms include wife | | | | Awareness and documentation of Domestic |
| or husband beating, battering, "relationship | | | | violence Domestic violence has many forms, |
| violence", "domestic abuse", and "spousal | | | | including physical violence, sexual abuse, |
| abuse". Family violence is a broader | | | | emotional abuse, intimidation, economic |
| definition, often used to include child | | | | deprivation or threats of violence. There are |
| abuse, elder abuse, and other violent acts | | | | a number of dimensions: |
| between family members. | | | | |
| | | | * mode - physical, psychological, sexual and |
| Recent attention to Domestic violence Popular | | | | or social |
| emphasis has tended to be on women as the | | | | |
| victims of domestic violence although with | | | | * frequency - on/off, occasional, chronic |
| the rise of the men's movement, and | | | | |
| particularly men's rights, there is now some | | | | * severity - in terms of both psychological |
| advocacy for men as victims, although the | | | | or physical harm and the need for treatment - |
| statistics concerning the number of male | | | | transitory or permanent injury - mild, |
| victims given by them are strongly contested | | | | moderate, severe up to homicide. |
| by many groups active in research on or | | | | |
| working in the field of domestic violence and | | | | The means used to measure domestic violence |
| "violence against men". | | | | strongly influence the results found. |