It may come as a surprise to many that domestic violence does not require acts of physical violence towards another. The state of Alaska has defined domestic violence to include more than physical injury to another. For an act to legally constitute domestic violence towards a child, the act must be committed by either a parent, grandparent, or person that lives in the same dwelling as the child. In turn, only a parent, grandparent, or person that lives in the same dwelling as the child may invoke the court's protective powers in cases of domestic violence towards children. If a parent, grandparent, or person that lives in the same dwelling as the abused child believes that domestic violence is taking place, they may ask the court for help.
Courts refer to the abused child as the petitioner.
An alleged abuser is referred to as the respondent. The petition is a form that requests the court to restrain the respondent from any further acts of domestic violence against the petitioner. A petition may request either emergency injunctive relief or non-emergency injunctive relief. When a court receives a petition for non-emergency injunctive relief, the court will schedule a hearing and give the respondent at least ten days notice of the hearing and the respondent's right to appear and be heard in person or by attorney. If the court hearing reveals that the petitioner has been subjected to domestic violence by the respondent, the court may issue any order it determines necessary to protect the health, safety, or welfare of the petitioner.