Domestic Violence
"Domestic Violence is a crime which affects people of every race, religion, sex, and financial status. Domestic violence can destroy any family or relationship it touches, unless it is recognized, treated and stopped!"
Domestic violence can take many forms--beatings, sexual assault, molestation, and even murder. Specific offenses covered include assault of any kind, threatening and intimidating, kidnap or false imprisonment, and trespass. The law also protects family members against fighting, unreasonable noise, abusive language and reckless use of a weapon or dangerous instrument. Because of the family relationship, victims of domestic violence usually feel afraid, ashamed, and embarrassed. Many are convinced that they did something to deserve the abusive treatment and most feel powerless to change the situation or escape from it. Everyone in a family affected by domestic violence wants to believe that each incident of violence will be the last. Unfortunately, statistics show that the violence tends to become more frequent and more severe with each occurrence. It is important to remember domestic violence is a crime and there is no need to suffer in silence--victims of violence have the right to make a formal report to law enforcement. Help is available for both the victim and the offender. There are provisions in the domestic violence law which permit police officers to arrest the offender based on evidence that an offense has occurred. The officer does not have to witness the offense. This law also provides that an offender may be arrested even if the victim is unwilling to press charges. These are important factors in protecting the victims from repeated violence and helps to break the cycle of abuse.
Domestic violence means the occurrence of one or more of the following criminal offenses upon a person protected under the Prevention of Domestic Violence Act:
|
Homicide |
Assault N.J.S. 2C:12-1 |
Terroristic threats N.J.S. 2C:12-3 |
Kidnapping N.J.S. 2C:13-1 |
| Criminal restraint N.J.S. 2C:13-2 |
False imprisonment N.J.S. 2C:13-3 |
Sexual assault N.J.S. 2C:14-2 |
Criminal sexual contact |
| Lewdness N.J.S. 2C:14-4 |
Criminal mischief N.J.S. 2C:17-3 |
Burglary N.J.S. 2C:18-2 |
Criminal trespass N.J.S. 2C:18-3 |
| Harassment N.J.S. 2C:33-4 |
Stalking N.J.S. 2C:12-10 |
Criminal coercion N.J.S. 2C:13-5 |
Robbery |
| Contempt of Domestic violence order N.J.S. 2C:29-9 |
Cyber-harassment N.J.S. 2C:33-4.1 |
Harassment is defined in N.J.S.A. 2C:33-4 as follows:
...a person commits a petty disorderly persons offense if, with purpose to harass another, he:
- Makes, or causes to be made, a communication or communications anonymously or at extremely inconvenient hours, or in offensively coarse language, or any other manner likely to cause annoyance or alarm;