{"id":372865,"date":"2016-04-11T01:22:14","date_gmt":"2016-04-11T06:22:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/content.findlaw-admin.com\/ability-law\/state\/hawaii-law\/hawaii-domestic-violence-laws.html"},"modified":"2025-07-29T15:41:20","modified_gmt":"2025-07-29T20:41:20","slug":"hawaii-domestic-violence-laws","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.findlaw.com\/state\/hawaii-law\/hawaii-domestic-violence-laws.html","title":{"rendered":"Hawaii Domestic Violence Laws"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\n \n
\n

Hawaii Domestic Violence Laws<\/h1>\n
\n
\n By Kit Yona, M.A.<\/a> | Legally reviewed by Bridget Molitor, JD<\/a>\n | Last updated\n
\n \n <\/i>\n Legally Reviewed\n <\/summary>\n\n
\n

This article has been written and reviewed for legal accuracy, clarity, and style by FindLaw\u2019s team of legal writers and attorneys<\/a> and in accordance with our editorial standards<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n\n <\/div>\n <\/details>\n\n

\n \n <\/i>\n Fact-Checked\n <\/summary>\n\n
\n

The last updated date refers to the last time this article was reviewed by FindLaw or one of our contributing authors<\/a>. We make every effort to keep our articles updated. For information regarding a specific legal issue affecting you, please contact an attorney in your area<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n\n <\/div>\n <\/details>\n<\/section>\n

For most people, home is a place of safety. That’s not always the case for victims of domestic violence<\/a>. This type of abuse comes in many forms<\/a> and is inflicted by a member of the victim’s family or household. Hawaii has laws<\/a> in place to try to break the vicious cycle of threats and abuse that is common in domestic violence cases.<\/p>\r\n

To provide a better understanding of domestic violence laws in Hawaii, we’ve gathered pertinent questions on the topic. For a detailed discussion of how Hawaii law works and the safeguards in place for the vulnerable, take a look at FindLaw’s Hawaii Family Law and Domestic Violence<\/a> article.<\/p>\r\n

What’s the definition of domestic violence in Hawaii?<\/h2>\r\n

Domestic violence laws were created to battle spousal abuse in Hawaii. Over time, they adapted and expanded their coverage as a subsection of Hawaii law.<\/p>\r\n

Domestic violence occurs when certain offenses are committed between people in a specific type of relationship. The crimes are related to domestic abuse, and those involved are either family, romantic partners, or members of the same household.<\/p>\r\n

A 2022 study by the Hawai’i State Coalition Against Domestic Violence (HSCADV) revealed that 18% of the Hawaii residents polled have experienced some sort of intimate partner violence<\/a>. Hawaii law has protocols and protections<\/a> keyed to situations involving domestic abuse.<\/p>\r\n

Who can be involved in a domestic violence crime?<\/h2>\r\n

Most instances of domestic violence involve an abuser and at least one victim. Individuals who can be part of acts considered to be domestic violence are:<\/p>\r\n