TYPE OF VIOLENCE

Sexual assault is an act of sexual activity that violates one’s bodily integrity and which the victim does not consent to. This often involves physical contact between the victim and perpetrator but does not necessarily entail penetration and may be committed by means other than force or violence.

Some examples include:

• Attempted or actual rape (includes any form of penetration of the body)
• Molestation/outrage of modesty – Unwanted deliberate touching, leaning, pinching or rubbing of any part of the victim’s body
• Sexual grooming of minors i.e. gaining a child or young person’s trust in order to sexually exploit or abuse them

Sexual harassment can take on many forms. It could involve ​receiving threatening, abusive or insulting words, behaviours or other forms of unwanted communication of a sexual nature. The victim does not consent to this and the harasser’s acts can cause feelings of harassment, alarm, distress or discomfort.

Some examples include:

• Voyeurism (non-consensual observing or recording of someone else’s private parts or an intimate act)
• Unlawful stalking
• Receiving sexual comments, gestures or questions in real life, through social media or calls
• Spreading rumors about someone’s personal sex life
• Pressuring for sexual favours or dates
• Forcing the victim to touch someone else

For sexual harassment in the workplace, please click here.

For online sexual harassment, please click here.

Online harms is a form of harassment that is carried out via technology (i.e. social media, messaging platforms, and online dating apps).

It consists of sexual or non-sexual behaviours such as:

• Rude or distressing content or comments
• Publishing private identifiable information without consent
• Unwanted and/or explicit messages or calls,
• Coerced sex-based communication or sexual harassment,
• Image-based sexual abuse (non-consensual creation and sharing of images or videos), 

More information or examples can be found below under types of online harms. The list is non-exhaustive.

Some common platforms where abuse was experienced was on Telegram, WhatsApp, and Instagram (Straits Times, 2021).

Sexual harassment could also lead to Sexual Grooming.

Family violence is violent, threatening or controlling behaviour within the family. More than just physical injury, family violence encompasses any behaviour that can cause a person to live in fear, ​hurt or anguish (based on the definition of family violence under section 64 of the Women’s Charter).​ It can happen at any level of relationship, and and in many different ways, ranging from physical and verbal abuse, to emotional and psychological torment. A common misconception about family violence is that it affects the less educated, but the truth is that it can occur across all social and educational backgrounds.

• Physical abuse – Beating, hitting, slapping or pushing, resulting in injury
• Neglect – Not providing essential care such as food, clothing, medical aid and other necessities, resulting in pain or injury
• Emotional abuse – Threatening, belittling or controlling behaviour, such as verbal abuse or, preventing them from socialising or leaving the house
• Sexual abuse – Unwanted sexual acts committed against a person who is not able to provide consent
• Financial abuse – Exploitation and/or misuse of funds or resources. It includes misappropriation of money, valuables or property
• Social isolation – not allowing the victim to be in touch with loved ones and friends

Definition

It is common in abusive relationships to have financial abuse, which is behaviour that seeks to control a person’s ability to acquire, use, or maintain economic resources, and threatens their self-sufficiency and financial autonomy. It is a form of psychological and emotional abuse where it involves restricting the victim’s resources. 

Intimate Partner Violence is any attempt by one person in an intimate relationship to dominate and control the other. It can happen across all types of relationships. Intimate partner violence can have severe emotional and psychological consequences. Violence is never acceptable – you deserve to feel valued, respected and safe in any relationship, and the first step is to be aware and recognise the signs of relationship abuse.

Elder abuse can be described as any action or lack of action that puts the health or well-being of an elderly person at risk. The abuse is often carried out by a family member whom the victim trusts. Abusers can be anyone inside or outside the family, such as spouses, children, foreign domestic workers or nurses.

There are various forms of elder abuse:

• Physical abuse – Beating, hitting, slapping or pushing, resulting in injury
• Neglect – Not providing essential care such as food, clothing, medical aid and other necessities, resulting in pain or injury
• Psychological/Emotional abuse – Threatening, belittling or controlling behaviour, such as verbal abuse or, preventing them from socialising or leaving the house
• Sexual abuse – Unwanted sexual acts committed against a person who is not able to provide consent
• Self-neglect – Unable to perform essential tasks of daily living such as taking care of their own three meals or personal hygiene, leading to potentially dangerous or unhygienic living environment
• Financial abuse – Exploitation and/or misuse of funds or resources. It includes misappropriation of money, valuables or property

The abused are often too scared to report for a number reasons including, but not limited to:

• Fearing shame or judgment from others
• Worry over their families being torn apart when the abuse is reported to the authorities
• Not knowing how to ask for help
• Being unaware that they are victims

A Vulnerable Adult (VA) is an individual aged 18 years or older who, by reason of his/her mental or physical infirmity, disability or incapacity, is unable to protect himself or herself from abuse, neglect or self-neglect.

Violence against vulnerable adults includes abuse and neglect.

The law defines abuse and neglect under The Vulnerable Adults Act as:

• ‘Abuse’ includes physical, sexual, emotional or psychological abuse. It is also defined as controlling or dominating behaviour by the abuser which causes the VA to fear for her safety/well-being or to be deprived of freedom of movement.
• ‘Neglect’ means the lack of provision of essential care (i.e. food, clothing, medical aid, lodging) to the VA. This could cause injury to physical/mental health.

Violence against women in the workplace not only affects the woman involved but can also negatively impact morale, cohesion, productivity and reputation of the organisation.

Workplace violence against women includes

• Workplace harassment
• Discriminatory practices

Violence against domestic workers includes verbal abuse, physical abuse and labour exploitation.

Labour exploitation is treating someone unfairly in order to benefit from their work. Some examples and signs of labour exploitation are included below.

Violence against sex workers is a complex issue.There is no standard definition for violence against sex workers as sex workers face different issues from various parties.

However, there are laws in place to protect sex workers from harm and exploitation – such as under the Women’s Charter, Penal Code, Protection from Harassment Act and Prevention from Human Trafficking Act.

Sex worker is not illegal, but many activities related to sex work are, such as managing a brothel and living off the earnings of prostitution. These are part of the broader set of laws to protect sex workers from harm and exploitation.