Relationship Violence and Domestic Violence

Sometimes a person who seems like a kind and loving partner can turn into someone who hurts, controls or scares you. Relationship violence is a pattern of behaviors that a person uses to maintain power and control over another person. These behaviors include intimidation, emotional abuse, isolation, minimizing, denying, blaming, using children, using privilege, economic abuse, coercion and threats. At first, the behaviors may seem like normal aspects of a relationship but then they can escalate over time. Relationship violence can happen between members of the same or opposite sex.

Learn more about relationship violence from Health & Wellness and/or the UW Police Department Victim Advocate’s webpage.

Washington State crime definition

Explanation
The Washington State Criminal Code does not contain a separate crime of “domestic violence” or “dating violence.”  Instead, crimes relating to domestic violence and dating violence are covered by other provisions of the criminal code, such as “Sexual Offenses” or “Assault” crimes.  The law is gender neutral and recognizes that domestic violence occurs between members of the same or any sex.

RCW 26.50.010 – Domestic violence
(a) Physical harm, bodily injury, assault, or the infliction of fear of imminent physical harm, bodily injury or assault, between family or household members;
(b) sexual assault of one family or household member by another; or
(c) stalking as defined in RCW 9A.46.110 of one family or household member by another family or household member.

“Family or household members” means spouses, domestic partners, former spouses, former domestic partners, persons who have a child in common regardless of whether they have been married or have lived together at any time, adult persons related by blood or marriage, adult persons who are presently residing together or who have resided together in the past, persons sixteen 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, persons sixteen years of age or older with whom a person sixteen years of age or older has or has had a dating relationship, and persons who have a biological or legal parent-child relationship, including stepparents and stepchildren and grandparents and grandchildren.

“Dating relationship” means a social relationship of a romantic nature. Factors include: (a) The length of time the relationship has existed; (b) the nature of the relationship; and (c) the frequency of interaction between the parties.