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An Online Resource Library on Domestic & Sexual Violence

Domestic Violence vs. Legal Language

General Material
Published Date
March, 2005
New Resources Added
September 08, 2025

This handout outlines the important differences between community-based domestic violence advocacy and the criminal legal system, showing how each framework defines and responds to abuse. Advocacy emphasizes patterns of power and control that occur over time, naming the harmed person a survivor and the person causing harm an abuser or batterer.

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