Domestic violence[16] is defined broadly in each of the relevant laws. It includes physical, sexual, emotional, psychological, verbal and economic abuse. Additionally, it covers domestic relationships, including one's spouse, siblings, parents, etc.[17]
Domestic violence and emotional abuse are behaviors used by one person in a relationship to control the other. Domestic violence is a pattern of abusive behavior characterized by the intent to gain or maintain power and control over an intimate partner or other family members.
The abuse can be established over time and, in most cases, it begins subtly with insults, a shove or by alienating the survivor from family and friends. With time, the abusive behavior can be more frequent and severe. One in every four women and one out of every seven men have experienced severe physical violence from an intimate partner at some point in their lifetimes.
Domestic violence can take many forms, such as:
- Physical: Any use of force that causes pain or injury, such as hitting, kicking or slapping.
- Sexual: Abuse can include sexual harassment, sexual assault or manipulating a person into having sex by using guilt or threats.
- Emotional and/or verbal: Constant criticism, threatening to hurt loved ones or harassment at school or in the workplace.
- Economic: Controlling a person's income or financial assistance, misusing one's credit or making it difficult for a person get or maintain a job.
- Psychological: Minimizing or blaming a person for the abuse, intimidation and/or threats or destroying property.
The following acts are commonly described in Pakistani society:[18]
- acid throwing
- bride burnings/"stove deaths"
- dowry death
- honor killing
- female genital mutilation
- femicide and infanticide
- foot binding
- forced abortion
- forced marriage
- forced pregnancy
- forced prostitution
- human trafficking
- murder of pregnant women
- sati/burning alive
- violence against prostitutes
- sexual violence
- sexual assault
- campus sexual assault
- rape/gang rape
- sexual slavery