Child Witnesses to Domestic Violence - Washington

Date: January 2021

Circumstances That Constitute Witnessing

Citation: Rev. Code § 9.94A.535

In criminal law: A child is a witness to an act of domestic violence if the offense occurred within sight or sound of the victim's or the offender's minor child under age 18.

Consequences

Citation: Rev. Code §§ 9.94A.535; 9.94A.537

It can be considered an aggravating circumstance that supports a sentence above the standard range when the current offense involved domestic violence, as defined in § 10.99.020, and the offense occurred within sight or sound of the victim's or the offender's minor children under age 18.

Under such circumstance, the court may impose an aggravated sentence that may consist of the maximum allowed under § 9A.20.021 for the underlying conviction.