What is Gender-Based Violence?

Rape is defined by the law as: when someone puts their penis into a person’s vagina, anus or mouth without their consent. This means that the person did not give permission for this to happen.

Rape does not have to involve physical restraint or force. 

Sexual assault includes a range of sexual acts that a person does not consent to. It can involve any kind of sexual touching with a part of the body or an object without consent, including over clothing.

It can also involve putting a part of the body or an object into a person’s vagina, anus or mouth without their consent.

It does not have to involve physical restraint or physical violence. 

Child sexual exploitation is a form of child sexual abuse in which someone takes advantage of a power imbalance, to force or entice a child into sexual activity in return for something received by the child, and/or received by those perpetrating the abuse. This could include money, drugs, alcohol, a place to stay, protection from violence or a sense of belonging. As with other forms of child sexual abuse, the presence of perceived consent does not mean it isn’t sexual abuse.

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Female genital mutilation (FGM) is a non-medical procedure where the external female genitals are completely or partially removed, and it may also include other injury to the area.

There are many reasons stated for FGM to be performed, the most common of which are:

• for a girl to become a women
• to prevent what is considered unacceptable sexual behaviour
• a cultural tradition
• association with cleanliness and femininity

However, FGM is a violation of girl’s and women’s human rights. It is illegal in the UK and it is illegal for a UK citizen to be taken overseas to have FGM performed.

Sexual abuse of children can involve any form of sexual activity with a child under 16 years of age although older children (defined as between the ages of 13 and 15), are able to consent to limited types of sexual activity with each other.

Child sexual abuse is most often carried out by a person who is well known to the child, often within the family or in another position of trust. 

It is also against the law for an adult to engage in sexual activity with someone who is aged 16 or 17 if the older person is in a position of trust. A position of trust is someone who looks after a child for example, in a school, youth club or a care home.

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A forced marriage is where one or both people do not consent (or cannot consent) to a marriage, and pressure or abuse is used to force them into the marriage. Forced marriage is illegal in the UK. It is a form of domestic abuse and a serious abuse of human rights.

Forcing someone to marry isn’t always physical: it can also involve coercion, blackmail or being put under emotional pressure (e.g. being made to feel they are bringing shame on the family, being denied freedom or money, being pressured into marrying as it would make the elders in the family happy).

In some cases, people may be taken abroad without knowing that they are to be married.

Stalking is a course of conduct - this means an incident that takes place two or more times - that places someone in a state of fear or alarm.

Stalking can involve a range of behaviours and tactics to make a person afraid. This can include unwanted calls, texts, emails or messages and comments on social media. It can mean turning up unexpectedly, following, loitering and giving verbal abuse.

It can also include leaving unwanted gifts or cards, that other people may perceive as a kind gesture, but where the perpetrator knew, or ought to have known in all the circumstances, that it would be likely to cause the person to suffer fear or alarm. 

Sexual harassment is unwelcome sexual behaviour which compromises a person’s dignity and makes them feel offended, humiliated, intimidated or threatened.

Examples include, ‘cat-calling’; ‘wolf-whistling’; ‘upskirting’; using offensive and sexist language or jokes; comments that hypersexualise, fetishise or exoticise people of colour, LGBTQI+ people and/or other minoritised groups; comments or behaviours intended to shame or humiliate boys in relation to masculinity, such as comments about their genitalia, pulling down their shorts (referred to as ‘pantsing’, which may be more prevalent against gender non-conforming children and young people).

Coercive control can take place in any relationship, including within young people’s relationships. It is a pattern of controlling behaviours such as assault, threats, intimidation or humiliation that create an unequal power dynamic in a relationship. It is likely to cause fear and intimidation and make the person subjected to control afraid or unable to end the relationship. It is a criminal offence and a form of abuse. Signs of coercive control can be difficult to identify. They may include isolating someone from friends, controlling how they spend their time and attempts to humiliate them. 

Honour based abuse is abuse or violence towards somebody who is seen to have broken the “honour code” of a family or community. A victim may be accused of having shamed the family or destroyed their reputation within their community, and be subjected to a range of violent acts and behaviours. The abuse could be physical, emotional or sexual.

There is no specific law on honour based abuse. All cases will be prosecuted under criminal law according to each specific offence that has been committed (for example assault, kidnap, rape or murder).