Definitions of Domestic Violence - Connecticut

Defined in Domestic Violence Civil Laws

Citation: Gen. Stat. §§ 46b-38a; 46b-38h

'Family violence' means an incident resulting in physical harm, bodily injury, or assault or an act of threatened violence that constitutes fear of imminent physical harm, bodily injury, or assault between family or household members. Verbal abuse or argument does not constitute family violence unless there is present danger and the likelihood that physical violence will occur.

'Family violence crime' means a crime as defined in § 53a-24, other than a delinquent act, which, in addition to its other elements, contains as an element an act of family violence to a family or household member. 'Family violence crime' does not include acts by parents or guardians disciplining minor children, unless such acts constitute abuse.

If any person is convicted of a violation of the crimes listed below against a family or household member, as defined in § 46b-38a, or a person in a dating relationship, the court shall include a designation that such conviction involved domestic violence on the court record for the purposes of criminal history record information. The crimes include the following:

• Assault
• Assault on an elderly, blind, disabled, or pregnant person or a person with an intellectual disability
• Assault on a pregnant woman resulting in a miscarriage
• Assault with a firearm
• Threatening
• Reckless endangerment
• Strangulation
• Sexual assault
• Aggravated sexual assault
• Sexual assault in a spousal or cohabiting relationship
• Aggravated sexual assault of a minor
• Sexual assault with a firearm
• Stalking
• Harassment
• Criminal violation of a protective order, a standing criminal restraining order, or a restraining order

Defined in Child Abuse Reporting and Child Protection Laws

This issue is not addressed in the statutes reviewed.

Defined in Criminal Laws

This issue is not addressed in the statutes reviewed.

Persons Included in the Definition

Citation: Gen. Stat. § 46b-38a

'Family or household member' means the following:

• Spouses or former spouses
• Parents and their children
• Persons related by blood or marriage
• Persons, other than those persons listed above, presently residing together or who have resided together
• Persons who have a child in common regardless of whether they are or have been married or have lived together at any time
• Persons in, or who have recently been in, a dating relationship