President Richard Nixon used to say that the first civil right of every American is the right to be free from domestic violence.

President Richard Nixon used to say that the first civil right of every American is the right to be free from domestic violence. That was 40 years ago, a time of civil(26)disorder and high crime. "Domestic violence" really meant crimes between strangers. Now it means the(27)opposite, with two recent reminders in the news. On February 12, outside Buffalo, New York, Muzzammil Hassan, a well-known local businessman, told police that his wife was dead. Officers found Aasiya Zubair Hassan with her head(28)cut off. The couple created the Bridges TV network, an effort to unite American Muslims and increase understanding across cultures. In the days before her death, Aasiya Hassan had taken legal steps to divorce her husband. She had also(29)requested a restraining order demanding he stay away from her. Now he is(30)charged with murder. Another case involved two popular young singers. On February 8, Los Angeles police(31)arrested Chris Brown after a fight that reportedly left injuries on his girlfriend, Rihanna. No charges have yet been brought, but Chris Brown said in a statement that he was sorry and saddened over what happened. The Justice Department says domestic violence can(32)be defined as a pattern of abusive behavior used by one partner in any relationship to control another partner. It can be physical, sexual, emotional, or(33)economic abuse—controlling someone’s finances. Women are more likely to experience domestic violence, but men are also(34)victims. And groups are working to bring more attention to abusive teenage relationships. Physical abuse is always a crime, but domestic violence laws differ from state to state. Legal(35)protections do not always cover all kinds of abuse, and abusers may simply change their method of exercising control to try to reduce their chances of getting caught.