Violence and Associated Terms

Violence arises in many forms and is not limited to physical contact. This site refers to all types of abuse as violence because abuse is an act of aggression and/or control. It is important to note that violence against women may be committed by an intimate partner, such as a current or former partner or spouse; among heterosexual or same-sex couples and does not require sexual intimacy. Violence against woman can also be perpetrated by strangers, acquaintances and others.

Violence is divided into four categories:

• Physical violence
• Sexual violence
• Threat of physical or sexual violence
• Psychological/emotional abuse (including coercive tactics when there has also been prior physical or sexual violence, or prior threat of physical or sexual violence)

Physical Violence

Physical violence is the intentional use of physical force with the potential for causing death, disability, injury or harm. Physical violence includes, but is not limited to: scratching, pulling, slapping, punching, hitting, biting, use of a weapon (such as a gun, knife or other object) and use of restraints or one's body size or strength against another person. Physical violence also includes coercing other people to commit any of the above acts.

Sexual Violence

Sexual violence is nonconsensual, completed or attempted contacts between the penis and the vulva, or the penis and the anus, involving penetration, however slight; nonconsensual contact between the mouth and the penis, vulva, or anus; nonconsensual penetration of the anal or genital opening of another person by a hand, finger or other object; nonconsensual intentional touching, either directly or through the clothing, of the genitalia, anus, groin, breast, inner thigh, or buttocks; or nonconsensual non-contact acts of a sexual nature such as voyeurism and verbal or behavioral sexual harassment. All the above acts also qualify as sexual violence if they are committed against someone who is unable to consent or refuse.

Sexual violence is divided into five categories:

• A completed sex act without the victim's consent, or involving a victim who is unable to consent or refuse
• An attempted (non-completed) sex act without the victim's consent, or involving a victim who is unable to consent or refuse
• Abusive sexual contact
• Non-contact sexual abuse
• Sexual violence, type unspecified (inadequate information available to categorize into one of the other four categories)

Threat of Physical or Sexual Violence

This type of violence is the use of words, gestures, or weapons to communicate the intent to cause death, disability, injury or physical harm. Also, the use of words, gestures, or weapons to communicate the intent to compel a person to engage in sex acts or abusive sexual contact when the person is either unwilling or unable to consent. Examples of this include but are not limited to statements such as "I'll kill you", "I'll beat you up if you don't have sex with me" or actions like brandishing a weapon, firing a gun into the air, making hand gestures and reaching toward a person's breasts or genitalia.

Psychological/Emotional Abuse

This type of violence includes trauma to the victim caused by acts, threats of acts or coercive tactics, such as those on the following list. This list is not exhaustive; other behaviors may be considered emotionally abusive if they are perceived as such by the victim. Some of the behaviors on the list may not be perceived as psychologically or emotionally abusive by all victims.

Psychological/emotional abuse can include, but is not limited to:

• Humiliating the victim
• Controlling what the victim can and cannot do
• Deliberately doing something to make the victim feel diminished (e.g., less smart, less attractive)
• Taking advantage of the victim
• Disregarding what the victim wants
• Isolating the victim from friends or family
• Prohibiting access to transportation or telephone
• Getting the victim to engage in illegal activities
• Using the victim's children to control the victim's behavior
• Threatening loss of custody of children
• Smashing objects or destroying property
• Denying the victim access to money or other basic resources
• Disclosing information that would tarnish the victim's reputation

The terms and definitions listed here are not legal terms, but those terms commonly agreed upon by a broad group of disciplines working in the area of violence against women prevention and intervention.

Definitions used are from Intimate Partner Violence Surveillance: Uniform Definitions and Recommended Data Elements, 1999.

Emergency

If you are experiencing abuse in your home, work or community, call the Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-562-6025 or click here for a list of local resources.

More Than a Statistic

One in three — the number of women who are raped, assaulted by a partner, or otherwise victims of sexual or domestic violence. This represents a wife, a girlfriend, a mother, a friend. Many survive. Some do not. Help prevent violence against women. You are in the position to help detect, treat and prevent abuse. You can make a difference, one woman at a time.