Looking for an explanation of a word or term about violence, abuse or child abuse? This glossary will help you get started.

(Cross-border) sexting: showing or forwarding sexually explicit images without the consent of the person depicted.

Bullying: violent and (usually) repeated behavior by one or more persons, with the intention of hurting the other(s). The harm may be psychological, sexual, physical or social. Those who are bullied are usually unable to defend themselves. There is often an unequal power relationship between the bully(s) and the bullied.

Child abuse: any form of physical, emotional or sexual violence on children, or physical or emotional neglect of children.

Child neglect: inadequate or failure to address a child's basic needs (clothing, food, hygiene, medical care, sleep). In emotional neglect, the child receives insufficient or no appropriate attention or love (see also child abuse).

Complex divorce / high conflict divorce: we speak of a high conflict divorce when there is a long-standing conflict. Because of the conflict, the divorce has become very complex. The ex-partners distrust each other.

Domestic violence: violence in the domestic sphere or domestic context. The persons committing or experiencing violence are (ex-)partners, family members, household friends, children,.... They do not have to live under the same roof.

Economic violence / financial violence: acts that cause a person to suffer financial loss. For example: extortion, theft or extreme financial dependence.

Elder abuse: violence, abuse or neglect of an older person. The elderly person has a personal and/or professional relationship of trust with the person committing violence. The elderly victim is partially or totally dependent on the person committing violence.

Emotional violence / psychological violence: acts that cause someone to experience emotional or psychological harm. For example: insulting, humiliating, threatening, socially isolating or damaging objects. This also includes emotional neglect. For example, ignoring someone or not giving them the necessary love or attention.

Family violence: violence in the family atmosphere or family context. It can include, for example, child abuse, elder abuse, parental abuse, violence between siblings or partner violence.

Female genital mutilation: partial or complete removal of a woman's external genitalia and/or other injuries to the female genitalia without any medical reason.

Femicide: killing a woman or girl because she is a woman.

Forced marriage or marriage coercion: a forced marriage is a union between two people at least one of whom has not freely consented to the marriage. It thus refers to marriages under physical or psychological coercion.

Forced prostitution: Prostitution or sex work means offering sex in exchange for money or other benefits. When people are lured into prostitution with false promises of a better future in another country, it is human trafficking. Prostitution or sex work without consent is punishable by law. It also covers situations where a person is forced into sex work.

Gender-based violence: violence on someone because of that person's gender or violence that disproportionately affects persons of a particular gender.

Grooming: when someone wants to gain your trust with the intention of sexually abusing you.

Homophobic and transphobic violence: someone does violence to you because of your sexual orientation, gender identity or gender expression.

Honor-related violence: violence to protect or restore a family's honor. Examples: honor killings, female genital mutilation or forced marriage.

Intimate terrorism: a form of partner violence in which one partner commits systematic violence on their (former) partner. This violence is often one-sided. The violence is done to force, control or manipulate the (ex-)partner into something.

Loverboys or teenage pimping: a teenage pimp is a trafficker who act like your sweetheart at first, but then forces or blackmails you into having sex with other people for money. Sometimes "loverboys" is also used as a word for teenage pimps. That sounds too romantic. Someone who manipulates, isolates and exploits you for sex is anything but romantic.

Parental abuse: a child committing violence on one or both parents.

Partner violence: partner violence is any form of violence between partners or ex-partners.

Physical violence: actions that cause physical harm to someone. For example: hitting, shaking, injuring with an object or strangling. It also includes failure to act. For example: neglecting someone or failing to provide medical care.

Rape: rape involves sex with penetration without consent. The penetration can be with the penis, tongue, fingers or an object.

Revenge pornography: the distribution of nude photographs or sexual images without the consent of the person depicted in those images. Revenge need not always be the motive and the images need not be pornographic. See also (cross-border) sexting.

Sextortion: in sextortion or "sexual extortion," you are persuaded to send sexual images of yourself. The extortionist threatens to distribute the images if you don't pay or do what the extortionist asks.

Sexual abuse: when someone forces you into sexual contact by force, threats, blackmail or manipulation. Sexual abuse involves coercion and often involves an imbalance of power: that is, the other person is not equal to you, for example, because of a large age difference

Sexual assault: being touched, groped or undressed against your will.

Sexual transgressive behavior: behavior for which no consent was given, where the partners are not equal or behavior that is not voluntary. So it is about behavior where there is coercion, deception or blackmail (no consent). Or behavior where someone does or undergoes something against their will (not voluntary). Transgressive is also when one partner has more power, making it difficult or impossible for the other to say no (not equal).

Sexual violence: any form of unwanted sexual contact. This can happen online or offline. It may involve unwanted touching or forwarding intimate images without the consent of the person depicted.

Shaken Baby Syndrome: a form of physical child abuse in which a parent or caregiver shakes a baby so hard that it harms the child.

Sibling violence: violence between siblings.

Stalking: behavior in which someone harasses you and disturbs your peace of mind. As a result, you no longer feel safe. Stalking is punishable by law.

Stealthing: In "stealthing," a person secretly removes the condom during sex even though the sex partner has given consent only for protected sex.