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EspañolWhat are the legal definitions of domestic violence and domestic abuse in Colorado?
For the purpose of getting a civil protection order in Colorado, the law defines domestic abuse and domestic violence separately. The difference depends on who the abuser is.
Domestic abuse is any act, attempted act, or threat to do any of the following to you by someone you are living with or have lived with, or someone you are related to:
- violence;
- stalking;
- harassment; or
- coercion.1
It can also include any act, attempted act, or threatened act of violence against your children who are under 18, or any animal owned or kept by you, the abuser, or your child. If the target of the violence is the animal, then the abuser’s purpose must be to coerce, control, punish, intimidate, or get revenge on you or your child.1
Domestic violence is also known as intimate partner violence. This means that someone with whom you have had or currently have an intimate relationship has done any of the following:
- a pattern of violent behavior; or
- any act, attempted act, or threatened act of violence, stalking, harassment, or coercion.2
A sexual relationship may indicate that you have an intimate relationship with the abuser, but it is not necessary.2
Coercion means using force, the threat of force, or intimidation to:
- make you do something that you have the right not to do; or
- to make you not do something that you have the right to do.3
For more information on the relationship necessary to qualify for a protection order, see Am I eligible to file for a domestic violence protection order?
Note: The Colorado courts website lists various behaviors on their Protection Order Incident Checklist that may be relevant in a court case for a civil protection order. However, even if the abuser did one or more of them against you, you still need to prove to the judge that these actions can be considered domestic abuse or domestic violence as defined in the law and explained above.
1 Colo. Rev. Stat. § 13-14-101(2); see Colo. Rev. Stat. § 18-3-602
2 Colo. Rev. Stat. § 13-14-101(2.1)
3 Colo. Rev. Stat. § 13-14-101(1.6)
