Definition Domestic violence is a pattern of controlling behaviors aimed at gaining power in order to control an intimate partner.
Domestic violence is about power and control.
It is not just about hitting or punching. It is a pattern of assaultive and coercive behavior, including psychological, sexual and physical abuse. The majority of the time, it is a female that is abused. There are instances of a male being abused but it seems to be less common. It is conservatively estimated that between two and four million women are battered each year in the United States.