Domestic Violence is defined in Oregon as “abuse between family or household members.”

Abuse is defined as “attempting to cause, or knowingly, intentionally, or recklessly causing physical injury.” It is also defined as “intentionally, knowingly, or recklessly placing another in fear of imminent serious physical injury.” Abuse could also be any form of sexual abuse as defined by law.

Family or Household members is defined as

1. Spouses
2. former spouses
3. adults related by blood or marriage
4. person living together
5. persons who have lived together or who have been sexually intimate
6. unmarried parents of a minor child.

Sociologically, “domestic violence” is defined as a relationship marked by repeated, prolonged physical and verbal abuse by a dominant intimate partner over a less dominant or submissive intimate partner.

Many of the cases that are prosecuted—and statistically, your case—is not that. It is something far less, something not actually recognized commonly as true “domestic violence”.