Which statement best defines Family Abuse under 16.1-228?

Which statement best defines Family Abuse under 16.1-228?

• A. Any act involving violence, force, or threat that results in bodily injury or places one in reasonable apprehension of death, sexual assault, or bodily injury, committed by a person against such a person's family or household member
• B. A casual disagreement with no threats.
• C. A non-family member dispute over property.
• D. A traffic violation between household members.

Answer: (A)

Family Abuse under 16.1-228 centers on acts or threats of violence by someone within the family or household against another family or household member, where the act or threat results in bodily injury or places the other person in reasonable apprehension of death, sexual assault, or bodily injury. The statement that describes any act involving violence, force, or threat that leads to bodily injury or places someone in reasonable apprehension of death, sexual assault, or bodily injury, and is committed by a person against a family or household member, matches all parts of that definition—the relationship, the conduct, and the consequences. Casual disagreements, disputes with non-family members, or traffic-related issues between household members do not involve violence or threats or the required family/household relationship, so they don’t fit the statutory definition.

Family Abuse under 16.1-228 centers on acts or threats of violence by someone within the family or household against another family or household member, where the act or threat results in bodily injury or places the other person in reasonable apprehension of death, sexual assault, or bodily injury. The statement that describes any act involving violence, force, or threat that leads to bodily injury or places someone in reasonable apprehension of death, sexual assault, or bodily injury, and is committed by a person against a family or household member, matches all parts of that definition—the relationship, the conduct, and the consequences. Casual disagreements, disputes with non-family members, or traffic-related issues between household members do not involve violence or threats or the required family/household relationship, so they don’t fit the statutory definition.