What constitutes domestic violence?

Put two people under the same roof for long enough and some sort of dispute is bound to occur, but when do these disputes cross the line?

Aside from the more obvious examples of domestic violence, Local News 8 found several gray areas where it’s hard to judge what’s legal and what’s not.

“Name calling. Name calling is something that we see a lot of,” said Teena McBride, who runs the Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault Center in Idaho Falls.

But while McBride considers name calling a form of domestic violence, she concedes that most prosecutors wouldn’t pursue charges in this situation.

One thing McBride said people could get in trouble for is preventing their victim from leaving.

“They block the door or lock a door and will not allow you to leave. Somebody moving you away from family or any type of supportive services that you have and isolating you,” said Brown.

This includes things like ripping the phone out of the wall in a heated dispute.

“At that particular point in time, what you start doing is preventing a call for service or for help,” said McBride.

McBride said one thing that confuses a lot of people is what constitutes strangling as opposed to what some in law enforcement call “attempted strangling.”

“To me if somebody when they’re grabbing you, choke-holding you, whatever it is they’re doing, that’s strangulation. They are strangling you. There is no attempt to it,” said McBride.

McBride said any form of domestic violence, regardless of its legality, could likely damage your relationship.

If you’re a victim of domestic violence, you can call the center’s 24-hour crisis line at 235-2412.