Nah man, I don't think that matters.

In the context of domestic abuse, it doesn't matter if your spouse leaves a mark or physically injures you, it still creates an environment of fear for your physical safety. Displaying any willingness to cross that boundary with your spouse creates fear that they could cross it again, or go further. That's what makes 'beat your spouse' such an evocative description to begin with. It isn't supposed to be a precise classification of the type of violence you committed against them, just that you violated that physical barrier that shouldn't be crossed. You can play semantic games and try finding a less objectionable term for it if you want, the truth is that even a slap or a shove is a severe betrayal of marital trust, and undermines the feeling of security that every person has a right to in their domestic environment. I think "beat" is a perfectly fine word to describe someone who willing to do that to their spouse.