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DOMESTIC VIOLENCE/PARTNER
ABUSE
The information provided on
the 211 eLibrary is for educational purposes
only. It is not intended to be and should not
be construed as legal advice.
WHAT IS DOMESTIC VIOLENCE?
Under Connecticut
law, family violence (a.k.a. domestic
violence) is defined as an incident between
family or household members that either results
in a physical injury or causes fear that a
physical injury is going to happen. Verbal abuse
by itself is not considered family violence. For
verbal abuse to be considered family violence
there must be imminent danger and that physical
violence will likely occur. Discipline of
children by their parents or guardians is not
family violence unless the child is abused.
Although there is no separate crime of family
violence, certain crimes (for example, assault,
kidnapping, and sexual assault) can be charged
as a family violence offense. A criminal charge
that includes family violence in the charge may
be a misdemeanor or a felony, depending on the
circumstances of the case.
HOW TO GET HELP
In Connecticut, there is a statewide network of
domestic violence programs that can be reached
by calling the statewide domestic violence
hotline, 1-888-774-2900. The programs provide
shelter for victims of domestic violence, as
well as counseling and other supportive
services. Shelter is usually limited to female
victims and their children; however, male
victims are offered other support services and
assistance in locating a safe place to stay. In
addition, there is a National Domestic Violence
Hotline (1-800-799-7233), which provides
domestic violence crisis intervention and
referrals to domestic violence service providers
throughout the United States.
FOR MORE
INFORMATION: The links shown here are
to organizations that have more information on
domestic violence:
For a summary of Connecticut
family violence laws, see OLR
Research Report, 2009-R-0349
TEEN DATING VIOLENCE: Dating
violence includes psychological and emotional
abuse, physical abuse, and sexual abuse. It occurs
with casual dating or serious long term
relationships. For more information on signs of
abuse in your dating relationship and what to do,
see the e-paper on Dating
Violence.
TO FIND PROVIDERS IN
CONNECTICUT'S COMMUNITY RESOURCES DATABASE:
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SOURCES:
Connecticut General Assembly Office of
Legislative Research Report #
99-R-0031
PREPARED
BY: 211/kq
CONTENT LAST REVIEWED: March2013
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