Abuse committed against an adult or a minor who is a spouse, former spouse, cohabitant, former cohabitant, or person with whom the suspect has had a child or is having or has had dating or engagement relationship. Co-habitants are two un-related adult persons. It often involves a pattern of abusive behavior that is used by one partner towards another (current or former boyfriend/girlfriend, spouse, fiancé, dating partner, child in common) in order to gain or maintain power and control over another intimate partner. Domestic violence can be physical, sexual, emotional, financial, or psychological actions or threats of actions that influence another person.

Any recent act or failure to act on the part of a parent or caretaker which results in serious physical, emotional harm, sexual abuse or exploitation or death of a child (younger than 18 years) or an act or failure to act which presents an imminent risk of serious harm.

Physical injury or death inflicted by other than accidental means by another person; sexual abuse (includes sexual assault and sexual exploitation); neglect (by person responsible for child’s welfare); and willful harming or injuring/endangering of person or health/unlawful corporal punishment or injury.

Refers to any knowing, intentional, or negligent act by a caregiver or any other person that causes harm or a serious risk of harm to a vulnerable adult. Includes physical abuse, sexual abuse, neglect, exploitation, emotional abuse, abandonment, and self-neglect. *Elders are considered 65 years and older. *Dependent adults are any person between the ages of 18 and 64 who has physical or mental limitations that restrict his or her ability to carry normal activities or to protect his or her rights.

Is form of modern-day slavery where perpetrators profit from the sexual exploitation and/or forced labor of men, women and children. It is a violation of basic human rights, and it is also a crime as defined by U.S. federal law and California state law.

The exploitation of a person by means including coercion or deceit to engage in commercial sexual activity, prostitution, exotic dancing, or pornography. (When the victim is a minor under the age of 18 years old, sex trafficking does not require force or coercion. Minors cannot legally consent to sexual activity).

The exploitation of a person by means including coercion or deceit for labor services. Labor trafficking victims are often forced into domestic servitude, construction, restaurant, agricultural, massage parlors, or sweatshop factory work with little or no pay.

Using force, threats of force, or fraud as a means of having non-consensual sexual intercourse with another person. Non-consensual includes the other person is incapable of consenting because of a mental disorder, the intercourse is done by the use of force, violence, or duress, the other person cannot consent because of intoxication, and the other person is unconscious of the act.

Any offense committed against you or your property because of your race, ethnicity, religion, nationality, disability, gender or sexual orientation. Anybody can be a victim. White, heterosexual males can be victims, as can African-American women. The language of the law is very broad and protects everyone, not one particular group. To qualify as a hate crime, bias against you need not be the only reason you were attacked, as long as it was a substantial factor in the criminal’s selection of you as a target. Also, it does not matter if you are a member of the group that your attacker thinks you are, only that your attacker perceives you to be a member of that group.

Pets are often victims of violence, abuse and neglect in homes where this is happening to humans. We understand that many victims do not want to escape an abusive situation because they are concerned about what will happen to their pet. Sometimes children also harm their pets following abuse, as a means of gaining some control back in their lives. We are here to help all of you, including your pets.