Domestic Abuse is violence or other abuse in a domestic setting, such as in marriage or cohabitation. Domestic violence may be used as a synonym for intimate partner violence, which is committed by a spouse or partner in an intimate relationship against the other spouse or partner, and can take place in heterosexual or same-sex relationships, or between former spouses or partners.  In the broadest sense, domestic violence can also involve violence against children, parents, or the elderly.  It takes a number of forms, including physical, verbal, emotional, economic, religious, reproductive, and sexual abuse, which can range from subtle, coercive forms to marital rape and to violent physical abuse such as choking, beating, female genital mutilation, and acid throwing that results in disfigurement or death.

Globally, the victims of domestic violence are overwhelmingly women, and women tend to experience more severe forms of violence.  They are also likelier than men to use intimate partner violence in self-defense.   In some countries, domestic violence is often seen as justified, particularly in cases of actual or suspected infidelity on the part of the woman, and is legally permitted.  Research has established that there exists a direct and significant correlation between a country’s level of gender equality and rates of domestic violence, where countries with less gender equality experience higher rates of domestic violence.  Domestic violence is among the most underreported crimes worldwide for both men and women.  Due to social stigmas regarding male victimisation, men who are victims of domestic violence face an increased likelihood of being overlooked by healthcare providers.

Domestic violence often occurs when the abuser believes that abuse is an entitlement, acceptable, justified, or unlikely to be reported. It may produce an intergenerational cycle of abuse in children and other family members, who may feel that such violence is acceptable or condoned. Many people do not recognise themselves as abusers or victims because they may consider their experiences as family conflicts that got out of control.  Awareness, perception, definition and documentation of domestic violence differs widely from country to country.