Research glossary

The exchange of money, employment, goods or services for sex, including
sexual favours or other forms of humiliating, degrading or exploitative
behaviour. This includes any exchange of assistance that is due to
beneficiaries of assistance.

Safety refers principally to the social conditions that instill a feeling of being protected from danger, harm, risk, or injury, and is based on the real and perceived risk of physical and emotional victimisation.

Safety planning involves creating practical steps to increase safety during or after abuse. It is personalised and survivor-led.

This may include identifying trusted contacts, preparing important documents, setting emergency code words, planning escape routes, and securing digital devices. A safety plan helps reduce risk while respecting the survivor’s choices.

For guidance on creating a personalised safety plan, including practical steps to reduce risk and prepare for emergencies, explore the Safety Planning resources available within our Domestic Violence Guides.

Victim/survivor safety planning refers to the process of supporting or empowering victims/survivors in developing strategies to increase their safety. Safety planning should always be done in collaboration with the victim/survivor. The victim/survivor constantly navigates her safety and is often the most knowledgeable about the danger she faces. Consistent with the principles of domestic violence risk management, safety plans should be tailored to the victim/survivor’s circumstances and developed to suit her individual needs. Safety plans must take into account the realities of each victim/survivor given that many of them face major barriers to putting safety plans in place due to the lack of available, accessible, acceptable, affordable, and appropriate services. A wide range of victim services, mental health, social service, human resource, law enforcement, and security professionals may engage in safety planning. If a team is involved in managing risk for violence, one member of the team should be designated as the victim/survivor liaison. As with domestic violence risk management, professionals engaging in comprehensive safety planning require the appropriate training and experience. Consistent with domestic violence risk management, victim/survivor safety planning involves improving both static and dynamic security. With respect to static security, victims/survivors may collaborate with victim support workers to identify security improvements that could be made to where she lives, works and travels. For instance, improvements could be made to visibility by adding lights, altering gardens or landscapes, ensuring proximity between parking locations and workplace entrances, employing security personnel, and installing video cameras. Access could be restricted by adding or improving entry systems, door locks, and security checkpoints. Alarms could be installed, or victims/survivors could be provided with personal alarms. In some cases, it is impossible to ensure the safety of victim/survivor in a particular site and the victim/survivor may consider extreme measures such as relocation of her residence or workplace. Shelters and counseling agencies specializing in violence against women can provide direct services and linkages to other services.

The victim affected by violence, without being the main target originally

Within the context of children and youth disclosing experiences of sexual violence, Secondary Victimization refers to “when child victims face negative reactions—whether received, perceived, or not adapted to their needs—from their loved ones and/or professionals in the sociojudicial system. This can contribute to increased suffering and trauma for the victim.

Secondary victimization therefore refers to causing a new psychological and emotional wound to the child victim.

The person appointed by the guardian, the father or grandfather, during his lifetime, from those considered
competent to support the child. While it is not necessary for the guardian to use specific words while assigning,
the assignment is done only by a guardian stating for example: "I select or recommend so and so".
According to the personal status laws, the selected guardian can choose a replacement for himself, if the
original guardian’s assignment enables him to do so.

the thick, white fluid that men produce
from the penis when they ejaculate

the punishment given to a convicted
criminal by the court

two or more rapes perpetrated by one person on at least two separate occasions.

This word has two connotations:
1- The sexual activity
2- The biological characteristics of males and females identified by the chromosomes and sex cells, which are
limited to the natural differences such as reproductive functions.
- "Gender" is often used as an alternative to "sex." However, gender indicates the social characteristics that are
given to the sex of the individual. People are born females or males (sex) and then learn how to be girls and
boys, and become later women and men (gender).
- Giving birth to children is a function performed by women because of their sex while raising children is a function
given to women on the basis of gender. (For further clarification see the definition of gender).

Sexual exclusion refers to denying people recognition, dignity, or access to healthy sexual rights and experiences because of stigma, disability, gender identity, sexual orientation, or discrimination.

For example, assuming that people with disabilities are “asexual” denies queer people safe spaces to express relationships, or refusing comprehensive sex education to certain groups.

Sexual exclusion can lead to shame, invisibility, and limited access to healthcare and protection. Challenging sexual exclusion means recognising that all people deserve bodily autonomy, safety, and respect.

Sex trafficking involves forcing, coercing, deceiving, or manipulating someone into commercial sexual acts for profit. It may involve violence, threats, debt bondage, false promises of jobs, or emotional control.

Minors involved in commercial sex are legally considered victims of trafficking, even if force or threats are not visible. Children cannot legally consent to commercial sexual activity.

Sex trafficking can happen across borders or within communities in South Africa and often targets vulnerable individuals, including young women, migrants, and those facing poverty.

A sex worker is a person who provides consensual sexual services in exchange for money or goods.

In South Africa, sex work remains criminalised. Criminalisation increases vulnerability to violence and reduces access to justice and protection. Regardless of legal status, sex workers have the right to safety, dignity, healthcare, and protection from violence under the Constitution of South Africa.

Sex refers to the biological or anatomical characteristics that a person is born with and is usually determined on the basis of the appearance of external genitalia, namely a vagina to denote female and a penis and testes to denote male. Sex is also a synonym for sexual intercourse, which includes penile-vaginal sex, oral sex, and anal sex. Intersex is a general term used for a variety of conditions in which a person may be born with reproductive or sexual organs that do not fit the typical definition of male or female. For example, a person might be born appearing to be female on the outside but have mostly male reproductive organs on the inside, or they might be born with genitals that seem in between the usual male and female types. For example, a girl born with a noticeably large clitoris or lacking a vaginal opening, or a boy may be born with a noticeably small penis or with a scrotum that is divided so that it forms more like labia (vaginal lips). However, it is possible to change a sex by having a sex change operation.

- Fanatic bias in the adoption of negative presuppositions towards women as a group, and about the social roles
and personality traits that they are supposed to have. Manifestations in Arab societies include, for example,
disparaging the capacity of women mental and moral abilities, which we find in common proverbs. These
features of sexism tend to justify women's disadvantaged status and socio-economic position in the social
ladder, and in other aspects. They justify, in particular, discriminatory laws regulating family and public life
(Beydoun, 2008).

Sextortion occurs when someone threatens to share sexual images, videos, or private information unless their demands are met. These demands may include money, more sexual images, sexual acts, or silence.

Sextortion can happen in schools, workplaces, or online relationships. It often begins with grooming or manipulation and escalates into blackmail.

For example, someone met online may ask for intimate images and later threaten to send them to friends or family unless more images or money are sent.

Sextortion can cause severe emotional harm, fear, and isolation. It is a form of gender-based violence and may be a criminal offence in South Africa.

Sexual assault is any unwanted sexual contact or behaviour that happens without consent. It includes a wide range of acts, from unwanted touching and forced kissing to rape. Sexual assault can happen in relationships, at school, at work, at parties, or in public spaces.

Sexual assault does not always involve physical force. It can involve intimidation, coercion, manipulation, threats, or taking advantage of someone who is intoxicated or unable to consent. Sexual assault is often committed by someone known to the survivor, such as a partner, friend, colleague, classmate, or family member.

Sexual assault can include forcing someone to kiss you after they have clearly said no. It also includes sexually touching someone’s body without their permission, for example, at a party or social gathering. Pressuring someone into sexual activity when they are drunk, afraid, or unable to agree freely is also sexual assault.

Under South African law, sexual assault is a criminal offence under the Criminal Law (Sexual Offences and Related Matters) Amendment Act (2007).

a set of
specially made boxes for keeping all the forensic
evidence in a clean, uncontaminated package
that can be transported to the forensic laboratory
for analysis

Any unwanted touching of a sexual nature is sexual assault. This can range from touching of sexual parts of the body to vaginal or anal penetration. As with other assaults, if weapons are involved or there is serious physical injury, the charge can become either sexual assault with a weapon or aggravated sexual assault.” [1]

“[Sexual assault] is an act of power and control over the victim. Sexual assault is a crime of violence because the victim is subjected to the aggression of the assailant. It is not a crime of sex. The feelings associated with sexual assault are disgust, shame, humiliation and powerlessness. It not only violates someone physically but may also affect a person’s sense of safety and ability to control their own life