Traumatizing Life Experiences

Family Violence

Family violence covers a range of behaviors committed by a person against a family member. All the behaviors aim to control a family member through fear, and include the following:

• physical abuse, for example pushing or hitting

• sexual abuse, including forcing a person to have sex or engage in sexual activity

• emotional or psychological abuse, including calling the person by names and controlling their behaviour

• intentionally damaging a family member’s property

• economic abuse – this includes controlling a family member’s bank accounts and money without their consent

• any other behaviour that causes the family member to feel fear for their safety, the safety of another person or an animal
  threatening to do any of the above.

An act of family violence also occurs if a child hears, sees or is around family violence. The law then protects that child as well as the family member who was the victim of the violence.

Anyone can be affected by family violence, regardless of their age, gender, sexual identity, cultural background, ability, religion, wealth, status or location.

Human Trafficking

Human trafficking involves:

• the use of force

• fraud, or coercion to obtain some type of labor or commercial sex act.

Language barriers, fear of their traffickers, and/or fear of law enforcement frequently keep victims from seeking help, making human trafficking a hidden crime.

Sexual Assault

Sexual assault refers to sexual contact or behavior that occurs without explicit consent of the victim. Some forms of sexual assault include:

• attempted rape

• fondling or unwanted sexual touching

• forcing a victim to perform sexual acts, such as oral sex or penetrating the perpetrator’s body

• penetration of the victim’s body, also known as rape

Child Abuse

Child abuse can result from:

• physical, verbal and/or sexual harm.

• households in which participants suffer from alcoholism, substance abuse, or anger issues.

• verbal abuse which harms a child by, for example, belittling them or threatening physical or sexual acts.

• childhood emotional neglect from parents or caretakers with the inability to validate and respond adequately to a child's emotional needs. 

Childhood emotional neglect can be hard to identify because it’s what didn’t happen in childhood. 

Physical abuse involves:

• non-accidental harming of a child by possibly burning, beating, or breaking bones.

Outcomes of child abuse can result in both short and long term injury, or even death. Some children may be unaware that they are victims of child abuse. Child abuse is widespread and can occur in any cultural, ethnic, or income group.