Violence and abuse

​​​​​​Catfishing is when someone sets up a fake online identity and uses it to trick and control others. People who catfish do it to scam, blackmail or harm you in one way or the other.

This is when a person using violence uses power that creates fear and takes away your freedom.

​​​​​​Cyber flashing is when someone sends you unwanted naked or sexual photos or videos online or by text message. This is a form of sexual abuse.

​​​​​​Doxxing is when someone leaks a person’s identity, private information or personal details on purpose and with no consent. 

​​​​​​This is the process of removing or taking control of a person’s reproductive organs without their free and full consent. This is a form of reproductive abuse.

​​​​​​Gaslighting is when someone makes you doubt your own memory and mental health. They may try to limit information, lie to you or try to control your thoughts, feelings and actions to weaken your confidence.

Image-based abuse is when a private image or video is shared, or threatened to be shared, without the consent of the person shown. This can include images or videos that have been digitally changed. This is a form of technology-facilitated abuse.

Love-bombing is actions and displays of love and affection with the intent to control you. This can include giving you gifts, undivided attention or flooding you with phone calls and texts. This is a form of psychological and emotional abuse.

Also known as sexual extortion, this is a form of online blackmail where someone tricks or forces you into sending sexual images of yourself and then threatens to share the images unless you do what they say. This is a form of sexual abuse.

Stealthing is the act of taking off a condom during sexual activity without the awareness or consent of the other person. This is a form of sexual abuse.

This includes any form of violence and abuse using mobile, online, and other digital devices. Examples can include harassing behaviours, sexual violence and image-based sexual abuse, monitoring and controlling behaviours, and emotional abuse and threats.

Spiritual abuse includes controlling someone’s religious or spiritual beliefs to use power and to hurt and scare you. It can happen at home or in a religious, learning or care setting.

Visa abuse includes using your immigration status or visa restrictions to control you or restrict an individual’s freedom. It is often used by partners to stop someone from leaving an abusive relationship. This is a form of legal abuse.

Forced marriage occurs when a marriage takes place without full and free consent, often through coercion, threats, or control. This can include individuals who are too young or lack the mental capacity to understand the implications.

Social isolation is when someone is deliberately restricting an individual’s interactions with others, leading to feeling alone and relying on the abuser. This is a form of social abuse.

This is a form of domestic violence that involves one parent controlling a child to reject or distance themselves from the other parent. This behaviour falls under psychological and emotional abuse. It harms both the child and the targeted parent by disrupting their relationship and well-being.

Elder abuse is any act that causes harm to an older person and is carried out by someone they know and trust. This can include physical, emotional, financial or sexual abuse and neglect.