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 (To read the definition of a sexually oriented offense, go to What are the definitions or stalking and sexually oriented offenses?)
1 Ohio Rev. Code § 3113.31(A)(1)
2 Ohio Rev. Code § 2151.031(D)