Lesson 2: Domestic Violence Outside the Home

(PLVN) - For a long time, the common perception has been that domestic violence only occurs between people in legally recognized marriages. This mindset inadvertently creates a legal "white zone," making it difficult to thoroughly address cases of violence within cohabiting relationships or against stepchildren and adopted children. Meanwhile, current law has removed the legal boundaries, expanding its scope to include relationships outside of traditional marriages to establish a clear principle: The lack of legal binding or the guise of "personal matters" cannot be used to ignore acts of violence.

Báo Pháp Luật Việt Nam•04/06/2026

The never-ending battle of the "ex"

Recently, the public has witnessed a series of heartbreaking incidents occurring between divorced individuals. These include brutal assaults and ambushes upon discovering a new partner for the ex-wife, or prolonged stalking and harassment at the workplace. Beyond physical violence, psychological abuse is becoming a terrifying weapon.

Many people abuse their visitation rights to go to their ex-wives' homes to verbally abuse them and vandalize property. They use social media to defame their ex-wives, spread false rumors, and even disseminate personal images to sabotage their lives, careers, and new relationships. A typical example is the recent uproar where an ex-wife repeatedly went online to expose her ex-husband's infidelity (despite lacking evidence) as he was preparing for another marriage. This led to online attacks and online criticism of both the ex-husband and his fiancée, affecting their lives, mental well-being, and the families around them.

In many cases, abusers exploit subtle loopholes, arrogating to themselves the right to interfere in the lives of their "ex-partners" under the guise of "resolving personal conflicts" or "child custody disputes," making it difficult for authorities to intervene and resolve the issues effectively.

However, upon closer analysis, the nature of these behaviors still stems from a possessive mentality, a controlling habit, and gender inequality formed during the marriage. Recognizing this root cause, the new law clearly stipulates that acts of violence between divorced individuals are still considered domestic violence.

Accurately identifying the nature of the behavior is a fundamental step forward. It provides a legal tool for local police and authorities to intervene immediately, issue restraining orders, and require perpetrators of violence to stay away from the victim's home or workplace. Victims of violence no longer have to wait for serious consequences to occur before receiving protection; they have the right to request legal intervention as soon as they perceive signs of threats or psychological intimidation.

The policy addresses the root of the problem.

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Lesson 1: Domestic violence and the disguise of 'private matters'(PLVN) - Slaps, harsh words, or controlling one's life—these might seem like just stories of parents disciplining their children or spouses maintaining happiness—but in reality, they are silently destroying many families. When violence is disguised under the guise of "child discipline" or "maintaining happiness," the consequences are not only emotional trauma but can also lead to irreparable tragedies.

Alongside addressing the consequences of divorce, legal adjustments also aim to protect those living in complex, intertwined family structures. A pressing issue in recent times has been the prevalence of violence against children within these fragmented families.

A series of shocking abuse cases involving stepfathers and "unofficial" stepmothers has revealed an alarming reality. Children, already disadvantaged by broken families, become the targets of anger from their biological parents' "unofficial" partners, spouses, or partners. Significantly, many cases drag on in silence, indifference, or even complicity from the very people who gave birth to the victims.

Including stepchildren and adopted children under direct protection has removed the barrier of "internal matters of child rearing," forcing agencies and organizations to take responsibility for monitoring and intervening immediately when they detect signs of psychological or physical harm to children.

In addition, another major reality posing a challenge to management in industrial zones and urban areas undergoing transformation is violence within "de facto marriages."

Under the pressure of making a living, many young migrant workers and self-employed individuals choose to live together, forming a marital bond without registering their marriage at the local government office. They share meals, rent, and manage their income and daily lives like a real family. However, when economic pressure mounts, conflicts arise, and violence easily erupts. Beatings, verbal abuse, and destruction of property occur right in these cramped rented rooms. Most commonly, women are subjected to violence and evicted from their rooms in the middle of the night, empty-handed.

However, when incidents occur, neighborhood leaders or local officials are often at a loss. The biggest obstacle lies in the situation of "not being legally married." The lack of legal status makes local authorities hesitant to intervene deeply, considering it merely a free-spirited romantic conflict between a man and a woman. The handling process usually only goes as far as general warnings or administrative fines for disturbing the peace in the neighborhood. The perpetrator pays the fine and then returns to their room to continue their abusive behavior, while the victim is left helpless. They don't know where to turn because there is no clear mechanism to protect their personal rights, nor any regulations to determine their rights regarding the shared assets they accumulated during their cohabitation.

This inadvertently created a vacuum for evil to exist. Therefore, officially including cohabitation relationships such as marriage within the scope of domestic violence prevention and control laws is a policy decision that addresses the root of the problem. It sends a clear legal message: "Human rights and safety of life, health, and honor must be placed above administrative paperwork."