Domestic Violence
Domestic violence is any pattern of behaviour in a relationship that is used to gain or maintain power and control over an intimate partner, child, parent or person who is a household member.
Domestic violence can happen to anyone of any race, age, sexual orientation, religion, or gender and affects people of all socioeconomic levels.
Forms of Domestic Violence
CONTROLLING BEHAVIOUR:
Occurs when the victim is made to be dependent on or subservient to the abuser, e.g. isolating the victim from sources of support; regulating the everyday behaviour or movement of the victim, etc.
ECONOMIC ABUSE:
Depriving a person of financial resources which they are either entitled to or which they necessarily need for rent,or a bond, household expenses and school fees. Using a persons financial resources without permission or manipulating a person to either giving up control of their money or property, or signing a legal document that gives control of their finances to someone else.
EMOTIONAL, VERBAL OR PSYCHOLOGICAL ABUSE:
Is degrading, manipulating, threatening, offensive, intimidating or humiliating behaviour towards a person.
EXPOSE A CHILD TO DOMESTIC VIOLENCE:
Occurs where the abuser intentionally causes a child to see or hear domestic violence, or experience the effects of domestic violence.
ELDER ABUSE:
Relates to an abuse of an older person within a domestic relationship as contemplated in the Older Persons Act, 2006 (Act No. 13 of 2006).
HARASSMENT:
Causing a complainant to fear being harmed or having their property damaged, stalking, loitering near or outside a building where a complainant lives, works or studies, repeatedly contacting a person using electronic communication, repeatedly sending packages, accessing a complainant's communications, monitoring or tracking ones movements.
INTIMIDATION:
Behaviour that is meant to force a person to do or not to do something which they have a lawful right to do or not to do.
PHYSICAL ABUSE:
Includes any act or threat of physical violence, depriving a person of their freedom, administering or attempting to administer drugs, medication or any other harmful substance or chemical without a person's consent or withholding a persons medication.
RELATED PERSON ABUSE:
It is now possible for a person to take a legal action in terms of this Act against the abuser who threatens to cause or commits physical violence to or damage to the property of a related person, where such actions can, in the circumstances, be regarded as causing harm to the related person concerned.
SEXUAL ABUSE:
Any act that abuses, humiliates, degrades or violates someone's sexual integrity.
SEXUAL HARASSMENT:
Includes unwelcome sexual attention, behaviour, suggestions, gestures, comments or communication from the abuser who knows or ought reasonably to know that such attention is unwelcome is offensive, degrading. Promise a reward in exchange for a sexually oriented request or threatening to act against a person who rejects their promise.
SPIRITUAL ABUSE:
Includes the manipulation of the victim’s religious or spiritual convictions and beliefs to justify or rationalise the abuse of such victim.