Jun
08
Domestic violence has been defined by the Domestic Violence Act 1995 No 86 (as at 01 October 2008), Public Act as violence within a domestic relationship, with such violence including:
- physical abuse
- sexual abuse
- psychological abuse (including intimidation and harassment)
- damage to property
- threats of physical abuse, sexual abuse and/or psychological abuse
When considering the welfare of a child, domestic violence includes the above, as well as:
- allowing the child to “see or hear the physical, sexual or psychological abuse of a person with whom the child has a domestic relationship” or
- “puts the child, or allows the child to be put, at real risk of seeing or hearing that abuse occurring”
Note, however, that the person being abused is not also committing domestic violence by allowing the child to witness (or putting the child at risk of witnessing) the violent act.
Note also that a SINGLE act can fall under this definition OR “a number of acts that form part of a pattern of behaviour”.
The above is a summary of the Act and should not be considered authoritative. For the full wording of the Act, look here.
Resources:
http://www.legislation.govt.nz/act/public/1995/0086/latest/DLM372117.html#DLM372117
[Accessed 16 January 2009]