Domestic Violence

ABSTRACT

Domestic violence (DV) is a pattern of abusive behavior in any relationship that is used by one partner to gain or maintain power and control over another intimate partner or member of the domestic unit. DV can be physical, sexual, emotional, economic, or psychological actions, threat of actions or negligence that influence another person. This includes any behavior that intimidates, manipulates, humiliates, isolates, deprives, frightens, terrorizes, coerces, threatens, blames, hurts, injures, or wounds someone. The World Health Organization (WHO) reports that violence against woman and girls globally is dramatically under reported. Recently, incidents of DV increased during the COVID-19 pandemic potentially due to the stay-at-home/lockdown orders and increased stress. For professionals in a forensic field, it is important to have a good knowledge of the characteristics of DV to be able to understand the dynamics of the repeating violence, the risk assessment, and the importance of an optimal forensic investigation. This article includes instruments for the diagnosis of DV, such as screening methods or typical patterns of injuries, and presents recommendations for a complete and excellent forensic documentation. The effect of DV on children is discussed briefly. If you or someone you know has been the victim of Domestic Violence, contact your relevant national/state support. © 2023 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.