How is violence against women defined?

The story in this article of a man almost driven to ruin by his ex-wife abusing these violence against women statutes is pretty disturbing. What is almost hard to believe is that violence against women is defined in terms such as "getting annoyed," “withholding information from the victim,” and even “disregarding what the victim wants.”

The Violence Against Women Act, passed during the first term of the Clinton administration, includes a definition of domestic violence that is so wide you could drive a Mack truck through it.

States picked up on the loophole, and now most states include within their definitions of abuse, actions like making your partner “annoyed” or “distressed.”

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) likewise followed suit. The CDC’s Uniform Definitions and Recommended Data Elements declares that partner violence includes “getting annoyed if the victim disagrees,” “withholding information from the victim,” and even “disregarding what the victim wants.” . . . No proof of violence is necessary. . . .