What is the legal definition of domestic violence in Ohio?
This section defines domestic violence for the purposes of getting a protection order. Domestic violence is when a family or household member or someone you are in a dating relationship with does any of the following:
- attempts to cause or recklessly causes you bodily injury;
- by the threat of force, puts you in fear of immediate, serious physical harm;
- commits menacing by stalking;
- commits aggravated trespass;
- commits any act with respect to a child that would result in the child being an “abused child” (as defined by law),1 which includes mental injury that harms or threatens to harm the child’s health or welfare;2 or
- commits a sexually oriented offense,1 which is defined as any of the following acts:
- rape;
- sexual battery;
- unlawful sexual contact with a minor (see the statute sections (A)(2) and (3) for certain conditions regarding the age difference of the victim and offender);
- gross sexual imposition;
- sexual imposition;
- importuning (soliciting a minor for sexual activity);
- voyeurism (deals with secretly videotaping sexual acts or similar actions);
- compelling prostitution;
- promoting prostitution;
- pandering obscenity;
- pandering obscenity involving a minor;
- illegal use of a minor in nudity-oriented material or performance;
- felonious assault when committed with a sexual motivation; and
- committing menacing by stalking with a sexual motivation.3
- Note: There are additional acts involving human trafficking, murder, manslaughter, kidnapping and other crimes when sexually motivated, which we have not included in the above list; to read these, see sections (A)(4),(7)-(11) of the law.
1 Ohio Rev. Code § 3113.31(A)(1)
2 Ohio Rev. Code § 2151.031(D)
3 Ohio Rev. Code § 2950.01(A)