TYPES OF INTERPERSONAL VIOLENCE:
Physical abuse:
Any threat / act of physical violence towards another person.
For example: throwing something at a person that could harm him/her; pushing
or shoving; twisting; pulling; slapping; hitting; kicking or punching; chocking;
strangling or suffocating; threatening or hurting with a weapon.
Physical violence may result in bruising, swelling, wounds, broken bones and
inevitably broken lives.
It is humiliating for the victim and conveys the message that s/he is not
respected (are inferior).
Psychological / emotional abuse:
Any behaviour which degrades or humiliates another person.
For example: repeated insults, ridiculing, naming calling, swearing, threats
causing emotional pain, manipulation, humiliation, obsessive possessiveness /
jealousy, denial of basic need, destroying the other person’s self -esteem with
degrading words / actions , acts in which a partner prevents the other from
communicating with other people, limits their movements outside the house
(after the age of 18 years), humiliates the other in front of people, calls the
other crazy, possessed, or threatens to take them to a mental hospital/facility,
threatens to hurt them, or harm their children or other family members,
threatens to damage any of their possessions, or threatens to take their lives, or
those of their children, instances in which one party might threaten to commit
suicide if their partner did not do what they wanted.
Victims of physical and sexual abuse usually also experience emotional and
psychological abuse.
Emotional abuse can be subtle and covert. For example, a parent or caregiver
who displays rejecting behaviour towards a child and calling him/her demeaning
names such as “you dumb child” or telling the child that he/she is worthless.
Such behaviour is not only demeaning but denies a child the opportunity to
experience the emotional nurturing necessary for optimal psychosocial
development.
The devious nature of emotional abuse can add to the damage it causes. For
example, if a person in a position of authority (like a parent or teacher)
compares one child with another child (“if only you were more like your sister;
she is so clever”), such behaviour not only ridicules and embarrasses the child
but might also result in him/her believing that he/she is unable to do well
academically – thus denying him/her the opportunity to achieve his/her full
potential.
Emotional abuse can result in the serious impairment of the child’s emotional
development and cause difficulties in his/her social functioning and relationships
(including his/her ability to form meaningful relationships as an adult).
Sociocultural abuse:
Cultural and traditional laws in some countries negate women’s rights and in
one way or the other promote violence against women (e.g. harmful cultural
practices such as female genital mutilation, arranged marriages and forced
virginity testing).
In such countries, violence against women has been institutionalised.
, Factors contributing to gender-based violence include poverty, sexual inequality
and inadequate social support. (e.g. when a girl grows up in a family, society or
culture where women are viewed as inferior and are not given opportunities for
self-development, may accept this as the norm; resulting in a cycle of
deprivation).
In such instances, the women is also subjected to secondary victimisation
(besides sociocultural abuse) by members of her household, family or the
community. (e.g. family members, the community and criminal justice
professionals might assume that she likes being abused if the woman is trapped
in an abusive relationship with no way out).
Homophobia , results in prejudiced behaviour toward homosexual persons,
including the avoidance of same-sex-oriented people, telling derogatory jokes
about them, harassment (hate speech or physical threats), and criminal
violence (gay bashing, rapes, destruction of private property, and murder).
Homosexual persons are more likely to suffer from mental health problems,
including an increased risk of depression and substance abuse, due to the stress
of living in a heterosexist and homophobic society.
Sexual maltreatment (abuse):
Any conduct that abuses, humiliates, degrades or violates the sexual integrity of
a person.
Sexual abuse includes any action where a person forces his or her partner to
engage in penetrative, oral, anal, or thigh sex against their will, as well as
forcing them to watch any of the above in a film, or to watch others doing any of
the above, against their will.
Sexual violence is a deed of hatred and aggression.
Leaves the abused person with a sense of having lost control over his/her life
situation, a feeling of betrayal and loss of trust in the abuser (e.g. in the case of
marital rape the wife often has no choice but to stay with her husband (the
rapist) due to socioeconomic factors, resulting in repeated victimisation).
RAPE: is defined as any person who unlawfully and intentionally commits an act of
sexual penetration with a complainant without their consent. The definition of rape
has also been extended to include all acts of non-consensual penetration committed
by one person to another (e.g. the penetration of the vagina, mouth or anus with a
penis, body part/ any other object). The definition is furthermore gender neutral,
which means that men and boys can be raped. Women can also be convicted of rape.
COMPELLED RAPE: the conduct of someone who forces another person to rape a
3rd person.
SEXUAL ASSAULT AND VIOLATION: replaces “indecent assault”. Persons will
be guilt of sexual assault if they commit an act of sexual violation This includes a
broad range of acts, such as direct or indirect contact between the genital organs and
anus of one person and any body parts of another person or animal; contact between
the mouth of one person and the genital organs, anus or breasts of another person;
and the masturbation of one person by another person. These sexual offences are
therefore committed when one person unlawfully and intentionally commits an act of
sexual penetration or violation with another person without that person’s consent.
CONSENT: “Voluntary and un-coerced agreement”. Consent is lacking where force/
intimidation is used / threat of harm / abuse of power or authority / consent is
Physical abuse:
Any threat / act of physical violence towards another person.
For example: throwing something at a person that could harm him/her; pushing
or shoving; twisting; pulling; slapping; hitting; kicking or punching; chocking;
strangling or suffocating; threatening or hurting with a weapon.
Physical violence may result in bruising, swelling, wounds, broken bones and
inevitably broken lives.
It is humiliating for the victim and conveys the message that s/he is not
respected (are inferior).
Psychological / emotional abuse:
Any behaviour which degrades or humiliates another person.
For example: repeated insults, ridiculing, naming calling, swearing, threats
causing emotional pain, manipulation, humiliation, obsessive possessiveness /
jealousy, denial of basic need, destroying the other person’s self -esteem with
degrading words / actions , acts in which a partner prevents the other from
communicating with other people, limits their movements outside the house
(after the age of 18 years), humiliates the other in front of people, calls the
other crazy, possessed, or threatens to take them to a mental hospital/facility,
threatens to hurt them, or harm their children or other family members,
threatens to damage any of their possessions, or threatens to take their lives, or
those of their children, instances in which one party might threaten to commit
suicide if their partner did not do what they wanted.
Victims of physical and sexual abuse usually also experience emotional and
psychological abuse.
Emotional abuse can be subtle and covert. For example, a parent or caregiver
who displays rejecting behaviour towards a child and calling him/her demeaning
names such as “you dumb child” or telling the child that he/she is worthless.
Such behaviour is not only demeaning but denies a child the opportunity to
experience the emotional nurturing necessary for optimal psychosocial
development.
The devious nature of emotional abuse can add to the damage it causes. For
example, if a person in a position of authority (like a parent or teacher)
compares one child with another child (“if only you were more like your sister;
she is so clever”), such behaviour not only ridicules and embarrasses the child
but might also result in him/her believing that he/she is unable to do well
academically – thus denying him/her the opportunity to achieve his/her full
potential.
Emotional abuse can result in the serious impairment of the child’s emotional
development and cause difficulties in his/her social functioning and relationships
(including his/her ability to form meaningful relationships as an adult).
Sociocultural abuse:
Cultural and traditional laws in some countries negate women’s rights and in
one way or the other promote violence against women (e.g. harmful cultural
practices such as female genital mutilation, arranged marriages and forced
virginity testing).
In such countries, violence against women has been institutionalised.
, Factors contributing to gender-based violence include poverty, sexual inequality
and inadequate social support. (e.g. when a girl grows up in a family, society or
culture where women are viewed as inferior and are not given opportunities for
self-development, may accept this as the norm; resulting in a cycle of
deprivation).
In such instances, the women is also subjected to secondary victimisation
(besides sociocultural abuse) by members of her household, family or the
community. (e.g. family members, the community and criminal justice
professionals might assume that she likes being abused if the woman is trapped
in an abusive relationship with no way out).
Homophobia , results in prejudiced behaviour toward homosexual persons,
including the avoidance of same-sex-oriented people, telling derogatory jokes
about them, harassment (hate speech or physical threats), and criminal
violence (gay bashing, rapes, destruction of private property, and murder).
Homosexual persons are more likely to suffer from mental health problems,
including an increased risk of depression and substance abuse, due to the stress
of living in a heterosexist and homophobic society.
Sexual maltreatment (abuse):
Any conduct that abuses, humiliates, degrades or violates the sexual integrity of
a person.
Sexual abuse includes any action where a person forces his or her partner to
engage in penetrative, oral, anal, or thigh sex against their will, as well as
forcing them to watch any of the above in a film, or to watch others doing any of
the above, against their will.
Sexual violence is a deed of hatred and aggression.
Leaves the abused person with a sense of having lost control over his/her life
situation, a feeling of betrayal and loss of trust in the abuser (e.g. in the case of
marital rape the wife often has no choice but to stay with her husband (the
rapist) due to socioeconomic factors, resulting in repeated victimisation).
RAPE: is defined as any person who unlawfully and intentionally commits an act of
sexual penetration with a complainant without their consent. The definition of rape
has also been extended to include all acts of non-consensual penetration committed
by one person to another (e.g. the penetration of the vagina, mouth or anus with a
penis, body part/ any other object). The definition is furthermore gender neutral,
which means that men and boys can be raped. Women can also be convicted of rape.
COMPELLED RAPE: the conduct of someone who forces another person to rape a
3rd person.
SEXUAL ASSAULT AND VIOLATION: replaces “indecent assault”. Persons will
be guilt of sexual assault if they commit an act of sexual violation This includes a
broad range of acts, such as direct or indirect contact between the genital organs and
anus of one person and any body parts of another person or animal; contact between
the mouth of one person and the genital organs, anus or breasts of another person;
and the masturbation of one person by another person. These sexual offences are
therefore committed when one person unlawfully and intentionally commits an act of
sexual penetration or violation with another person without that person’s consent.
CONSENT: “Voluntary and un-coerced agreement”. Consent is lacking where force/
intimidation is used / threat of harm / abuse of power or authority / consent is
