Family violence law in Texas covers accusations of abuse between people related by “consanguinity or affinity.” Consanguinity, or related by blood, includes the relationship between:
Parent and child
Grandparent and grandchild
Brother and sister
Aunt or uncle and niece or nephew
Affinity includes people with whom the accused is in a relationship by marriage. This includes spouses and people who are related by consanguinity to a spouse. The law also covers former spouses, people who have a child together whether or not they are or have been married and people whose relationship are through the foster care system.
Chapter 71 also defines dating violence as family violence. Dating violence is defined as when certain violent acts occur between people who are or have been in a “dating relationship,” meaning a continuing romantic or intimate relationship. The length and nature of the relationship, as well as the frequency and type of interactions experienced, are considered when determining whether a dating relationship exists.