Department of Justice »1). This act of domestic violence includes physical, mental or psychological control over another person. Abuse refers to any criminal behavior involving: assault, battery, sexual assault, stalking and homicide. Domestic violence also goes by many names: domestic violence, spousal abuse, spousal abuse, the list goes on, but the meaning is the same. Before the 1800s, domestic violence was widely accepted and a valid approach to disciplining a wife. Laws at the time stated that “a husband is only permitted to whip his wife with a stick no larger than his thumb” (“Domestic Violence Timeline.”1). This practice continued until 1882, when Maryland passed a law that made beating a woman "punishable by 20 lashes." (“Timeline of Domestic Violence.” 1). The illustration below shows this act in 1899 ("The Whipping Post"). where a husband was sentenced to 20 lashes under this law. Soon other states followed suit, but with stipulations. North Carolina law states that "a criminal charge may not be brought against a husband unless the battery is so serious that it results in permanent injury, endangers their life, or is malicious beyond all reasonable limits” (“Domestic Violence