Research glossary

part of the female sexual organ; the
inner passage

a painful spasm or contraction
of the vagina in response to pressure or sexual
intercourse

Verbal abuse involves using words to harm, control, humiliate, or intimidate another person. Although it does not leave physical marks, it can cause serious emotional damage and long-term effects on self-esteem and mental health.

Verbal abuse may include constant criticism, name-calling, yelling, threats, mocking, degrading jokes, or using language to silence someone. It is often part of emotional or psychological abuse and may escalate over time.

Examples:

Calling a partner “useless” or “stupid” repeatedly.
Threatening to harm someone or themselves during arguments.
Publicly humiliating someone to embarrass or control them.
Verbal abuse is never “just words.” It can be a warning sign of more severe abuse.

Vicarious trauma (VT) refers to negative changes that individuals may experience as a result of being exposed to individuals who have undergone traumatic experiences. Specifically, it can “alter [one’s] beliefs regarding themselves, others, and their worldview.

Clinicians can experience VT when exposed to their patients’ traumatic experiences which triggers negative beliefs about safety, power, independence, esteem, and intimacy. VT can also lead to ‘decreased motivation, efficacy and empathy’ (McCann & Pearlman 1990). Typically, VT develops over time as an individual is continually exposed to their clients’ experiences, and often manifests mentally while presenting as symptoms that align with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

“Vicarious trauma and secondary traumatic stress have many similarities and while the two terms are meant to describe different experiences, they are often used interchangeably to represent the same phenomenon. However, VT and STS represent two distinct experiences and they apply to different populations. STS can be experienced by multiple sets of individuals, while vicarious trauma applies only to those individuals in direct care positions, such as first responders, health care providers, and social workers. STS and VT can be clearly differentiated by examining the length of manifestation of these two disorders

an individual who has suffered physical or emotional harm, property damage, or economic loss as a result of a crime. Some victims prefer to identify as a survivor.

Victim blaming occurs when responsibility for violence or abuse is shifted onto the survivor instead of the perpetrator. It minimises the harm and protects the person who caused it.

Victim blaming often focuses on what the survivor was wearing, where they were, who they were with, whether they were drinking, or why they did not leave sooner. This reinforces harmful myths about gender and violence.

Examples:

“Why were you out so late?”
“You should have known better.”
“If you didn’t provoke him, it wouldn’t have happened.”

Victim blaming discourages reporting, increases shame, and strengthens rape culture. Responsibility for violence always lies with the person who chooses to commit it.

Victim blaming is a devaluing act that occurs when the victim(s) of a crime or an accident is held responsible — in whole or in part — for the crimes that have been committed against them. This blame can appear in the form of negative social responses from legal, medical, and mental health professionals, as well as from the media and immediate family members and other acquaintances

- A person who is directly affected by violence (The Prevention of Domestic Violence Act, 1997). However, the
term "direct victim" refers to the direct recipients of violence, and the "indirect victim" refers to the person
affected by violence such as being affected by scenes of violence on TV or such as children affected by viewing
violence occurring between their parents.
- Other terms that are sometimes used instead of the survivor: victim, recipient of violence, to indicate the
different stages that can be experienced by a person who is subject to violence. However, the current practice
in scholarly literature and the recommendations of the principles for dealing with individuals subject to violence,
is the use of the word "survivor" when referring to the recipient of violence, regardless of the reaction of the
recipient, since the word victim suggests weakness, compassion and surrendering while the word "survivor"
suggests resilience and strength. Thus, the term "survivor" has positive connotations which helps the recipient
on one hand to increase his/her self-confidence and reminds the care provider not to deal with the recipient as
subordinate.

is a means of control and oppression that can include emotional,
social or economic force, coercion or pressure, as well as physical harm. It
can be overt, in the form of a physical assault or threatening someone with
a weapon; it can also be covert, in the form of intimidation, threats,
persecution, deception or other forms of psychological or social pressure.
The person targetted by this kind of violence is compelled to behave as
expected or to act against her will out of fear.
An incident of violence is an act or a series of harmful acts by a
perpetrator or a group of perpetrators against a person or a group of
individuals. It may involve multiple types and repeated acts of violence
over a period of time, with variable durations. It can take minutes,
hours, days or a lifetime

- A single act or series of acts of violence that are perceived to be connected to each other, and that may persist
over a period of minutes, hours, or days. A violent episode may involve single or multiple types of violence (e.g.,
physical violence, sexual violence, threat of physical or sexual violence, and psychological/emotional abuse)
(CDC, 2008).

Any act of gender-based violence that results in, or is likely to result in, physical, sexual or mental harm or
suffering to women, including threats of such acts, coercion or arbitrary deprivation of liberty, whether occurring
in public or in private life (Declaration on the Elimination of Violence Against Women, 1993).

Any act of gender-based violence that results in, or is likely to result in, physical, sexual or mental harm or suffering to women, including threats of such acts, coercion or arbitrary deprivation of liberty, whether occurring in public or in private life. It refers to violence directed at a woman because she is a woman and that affects her disproportionately. It takes a range of forms including but not limited to intimate partner violence, non-partner sexual assault, trafficking, so-called honour crimes, sexual harassment and exploitation, stalking, witchcraft-related violence, and gender-related killings.

- The intentional use of physical force or power, threatened or actual, against oneself, another person, or against
a group or community, that either results in or has a high likelihood of resulting in injury, death, psychological
harm or maldevelopment or deprivation (WHO, 2002-a).
- The terms “abuse” and “violence” are often used as synonyms, yet it was agreed in discussion sessions to use
the word abuse to refer to the broader concept of maltreatment (violence, neglect, exploitation, assault…).

The intentional use of physical force or psychological power, threatened or actual, against oneself, another person, or against a group or community, which either results in or has a high likelihood of resulting in injury, death, psychological harm, maldevelopment, or deprivation.

normally, a person who is
intellectually challenged and therefore unable to
consent to sex

any person who may be
traumatised by testifying in court in the presence
of the accused, and who requires special protection