Research glossary

Paedophilia refers to a sexual attraction to pre-pubertal children (generally children under the age of 13). Children cannot legally or ethically consent to sexual activity. Any sexual involvement with a child is abuse and a serious criminal offence in South Africa.

It is important to distinguish between a psychological attraction and criminal behaviour. While paedophilia describes the attraction itself, acting on that attraction by engaging in sexual contact, grooming, exploitation, or creating or sharing sexual images of children is child sexual abuse and punishable by law.
Many cases of paedophilia involve manipulation, grooming, secrecy, and abuse of trust, especially when the perpetrator is known to the child or family.

Under South Africa’s Sexual Offences Act (2007), penetration includes any act where something enters another person’s body to any extent, including genital, anal, or oral penetration.

This legal definition is used in sexual offence cases and applies regardless of whether an object or body part is used.

A perpetrator is a person who commits a harmful or criminal act. In legal contexts, they may also be referred to as the accused, offender, or respondent.

Survivors have the right to choose the language that feels safest and most empowering to them.

A perpetrator is a person, group, or institution that directly inflicts, supports and condones violence or other abuse against a person or a group of persons. Perpetrators are in a position of real or perceived power, decision-making and/or authority and can thus exert control over their victims.

Perpetrators of violence come from various age, socio-economic, cultural, sexual orientation, ethnic, and religious demographics. Perpetrators of domestic violence are most commonly male

A person, group, or institution that directly inflicts, supports and condones violence or other abuse against a
person or a group of persons. Perpetrators are in a position of real or perceived power, decision-making and/or
authority and can thus exert control over their victims (UNHCR, 2003).
- Aggressor, perpetrator, and offender are words used to provide the same meaning

: the person(s) accused of performing the sexual acts as set out in the Sexual Offences Amendment Act 32
of 2007. In this report the perpetrator is also interchangeably referred to as the offender.

Persons with disability include those who have or are perceived to have, physical, psychosocial, intellectual, neurological and/ or sensory impairments which, as a result of various attitudinal, communication, physical and information barriers that hinder their participating fully and effectively in society on an equal basis with others.

Intentional use or threatened use of physical force against a family member or intimate partner. It includes, but is not limited to, pushing, hitting, cutting, punching, slapping, shoving, and strangulation.

Physical abuse is the most obvious kind of [gender-based violence], but it is not the most common and is not necessarily the most serious. It is the intentional infliction of pain or injury by slapping, shoving, punching, strangling, kicking, burning, stabbing and/or shooting; using a weapon or other objects to threaten, hurt or kill; abducting a woman or keeping her imprisoned.

this refers to whether the accused pleads ‘guilty’ or ‘not guilty’ to the charge of rape. The criminal trial offi cially
begins once the accused makes his/her plea

these are popularly termed ‘plea bargains’. These agreements may be entered
between the state and the accused. The accused pleads guilty to charges in exchange for a lesser sentence.

When a person has been exposed to a traumatic event in which both of the following were present:
• The person experienced, witnessed, or was confronted with an event/events that involved actual or threatened
death or serious injury, or a threat to the physical integrity of self or others.
• The person’s response involved intense fear, helplessness, or horror cognition (American Psychiatric
Association, DSM 4, 2000).

One of the most serious and troubling issues for many women who have left an abusive relationship is the misapprehension held by many professionals in the family court system that the abuse ends at the time of separation. In fact, post-separation violence – any tactics used by an abuser that stop a woman from leaving, retaliate for her departure or force her return – can have significant long-term consequences and can even result in death.

The initial period of separation, when the violence continues and possibly escalates, is also when separated couples are the most likely to be involved in difficult and contested family court proceedings. These proceedings can take on a deadly tone for families where there has been a history of woman abuse.

Women who have experienced trauma can develop symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). There are three categories of PTSD symptoms

Intrusive re-experiencing: Symptoms in which the trauma victim re-experiences traumatic events or feelings in ways that intrude on everyday life. Flashbacks and traumatic nightmares are vivid recollections of the trauma or an aspect of the trauma. During a flashback, one may see, hear or smell aspects of the trauma, or may have bodily sensations or body memories connected to the trauma. People who have flashbacks can feel as if they are going crazy or are out of control. Flashbacks are actually the brain’s attempt to integrate the traumatic material. Until this is accomplished, flashbacks can be extremely disruptive to one’s daily life.

Avoidance: Avoiding things or situations associated with the trauma – Following a trauma, individuals may avoid certain things that have become associated with the trauma; for example, a place or an activity. This can generalize to other things and leave someone feeling quite constricted in their life.

Hyperarousal: Individuals may always feel on edge or as if they have to be aware of everything around them. Individuals may suffer from insomnia or persistent restlessness.

: an arrangement for the court
hearing to take place at a later time

court cases do not always happen on the dates set aside. They may be postponed by the magistrate.
Postponements may be requested when witnesses are sick, or do not arrive at court, or because the accused is
unrepresented and needs to fi nd a lawyer.

is understood as the capacity to make decisions. All relationships
are affected by the exercise of power. When power is used to make
decisions regarding one’s own life, it becomes an affirmation of
self-acceptance and self-respect that, in turn, fosters respect and
acceptance of others as equals. When used to dominate, power
imposes obligations on, restricts, prohibits and makes decisions about
the lives of other

In its simplest sense, power entails the capacity of an individual (or group) to influence the behaviour of others, even against opposition or resistance. [1] As a social relation, this capacity may be exercised through many different forms, such as authority, coercion, status, the control over resources, or through the leverage afforded by social institutions, policies, norms, ideologies, etc. As a result, power imbalances may occur at the level of individual interactions (such as between intimate partners), and/or as a direct result of “historic, social, economic, and political events.

Depending on the degree of mutuality and consensus (or, on the other hand, manipulation or coercion) within a given context, power may be seen as a more or less productive or destructive force, capable of both realizing and repressing the interests of individuals or groups. Advocates for gender equity and social justice aim to empower individuals and communities by seeking to replace existing power imbalances with power relations that are based on fairness, consent, and mutual respect

Prejudice means literally to pre-judge. Prejudice encompasses positive or negative attitudes toward a person or group, formed without just grounds or sufficient knowledge, which will not be likely to change in spite of new evidence or contrary arguments. Frequently prejudices are not recognized as false or unsound assumptions or stereotypes, and, through repetition, become accepted as common sense notions. When backed with power, prejudice results in acts of discrimination and oppression against groups or individuals.

Approaches and activities to prevent the likelihood of a health-related state or event impacting individuals and communities. There are several types of prevention, which include Primordial, Primary, Secondary and Tertiary.

Primordial Prevention: Prevention of risk factors, beginning with change in social and environmental conditions in which these factors are observed to develop

Primary Prevention: Prevention of disease or injury before it occurs. Occurs by preventing exposures to hazards that cause disease or injury, altering unhealthy or unsafe behaviours that can lead to disease or injury, and increasing resistance to disease or injury should exposure occur.

Secondary Prevention: Secondary prevention aims to reduce the impact of a disease or injury that has already occurred. This is done by detecting and treating disease or injury as soon as possible to halt or slow its progress, encouraging personal strategies to prevent re-injury or recurrence, and implementing programs to return people to their original health and function to prevent long-term problems.

Tertiary Prevention: Tertiary prevention aims to soften the impact of an ongoing illness or injury that has lasting effects. This is done by helping people manage long-term, often-complex health problems and injuries (e.g. chronic diseases, permanent impairments) in order to improve as much as possible their ability to function, their quality of life and their life expectancy.