Domestic violence (also
domestic abuse,
spousal abuse,
intimate partner violence,
battering, or
family violence) is a pattern of behavior which involves
violence or other
abuse by one person against another in a domestic setting, such as in
marriage or
cohabitation.
Intimate partner violence (IPV) is violence by a
spouse or partner in an
intimate relationship against the other spouse or partner. Domestic violence can take place in
heterosexual and
same-sex family relationships, and can involve violence against children in the family or, in some U.S. states, violence against a roommate.