What can gender-based violence look like?
Abuse is a pattern of behaviors one person uses to gain and maintain power and control over somebody else. While everybody is vulnerable to abuse, women and marginalized genders are unfortunately the most likely to experience serious harm or death as a result of familial or intimate partner violence. This is why it is often called ‘gender-based violence’.
Many people assume gender-based violence means that physical violence is happening, but that’s not always the case! GBV comes in many forms - it’s not just physical.
Types of Abuse
Physical
Includes bodily harm, discomfort or injury including hitting, punching, slapping, kicking, pushing, burning, biting, torture, restraining, assault with a weapon, withholding of food and/or medical care, and/or murder.
Sexual
Includes any act of forced sexual activity, sexual harassment, unwanted sexual touching, the refusal to use protection from STIs or unwanted pregnancy during sex, and forced exposure to or participation in pornography or prostitution.
Spiritual
Includes degrading another person’s spiritual beliefs, withholding the means to practice, and/or forcing adherence to a belief system.
Technology-facilitated
Includes online threats, insults or harassment, using GPS or social media to surveil, hacking into accounts, forced sharing of passwords, spamming messages, distributing sexual images without consent (revenge porn), impersonating others online.
Post-Separation
Includes unduly prolonging separation proceedings, making false accusations, breaking no-contact or restraining orders, filing complaints against professionals involved in the case, withholding child support, initiating unnecessary legal proceedings to inflate legal fees, continuing to use the children as a channel for abuse.